Conference on Undergraduate Research in Mathematics

Conference on Undergraduate Research in Mathematics Penn State University November 4-5, 2011 Talk Abstracts Plenary Speakers Annalisa Crannell, Franklin & Marshall College Math and Art: The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty How do we fit a three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional canvas? Answering this question will change the way you look at the world, literally: we'll learn where to stand as we view a painting so it pops off that two-dimensional canvas seemingly out into our three-dimensional space. In this talk, we'll explore the mathematics behind perspective paintings, which starts with simple rules and will lead us into really lovely, really tricky puzzles. Why do artists use vanishing points? What's the difference between 1-point and 3-point perspective? Why don't your vacation pictures don't look as good as the mountains you photographed? Dust off those old similar triangles, and get ready to put them to new use in looking at art!