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Real part of the Weierstrass elliptic p-function, c. 1880s–90s. L. Brill Germany, plaster. Courtesy of the Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley. L2021.0913.002

SFO exhibit reveals the beauty of ‘Mathematics’

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Real part of the Weierstrass elliptic p-function, c. 1880s–90s. L. Brill Germany, plaster. Courtesy of the Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley. L2021.0913.002
Real part of the Weierstrass elliptic p-function, c. 1880s–90s. L. Brill Germany, plaster. Courtesy of the Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley. L2021.0913.002

SAN FRANCISCO — Like music, mathematics is a universal language—understood and used in every culture, civilization, and school. And just as music is much more than notes, math is far more than numbers. Mathematics: Vintage and Modern, an SFO Museum exhibit that opened on July 31 and continues through May 1, 2022 in San Francisco International Airport, features objects from the past. It also highlights teaching tools that help students learn arithmetic, geometry, and calculus, as well as vintage children’s toys and games.

Several works of art on exhibit demonstrate complex mathematics through sculptural forms. Examples from modern math — knot theory, topology, and ambiguous models — illustrate how math deals with the very dimensions of space.

Triple Klein bottle, internally linked, c. 2005¬–19. Cliff Stoll (b. 1950); glass work by 邢玮 (Ms. Xing Wei) of Shanghai, China. Borosilicate glass. Courtesy of the artist. L2021.0902.003
Triple Klein bottle, internally linked, c. 2005¬–19. Cliff Stoll (b. 1950); glass work by 邢玮 (Ms. Xing Wei) of Shanghai, China. Borosilicate glass. Courtesy of the artist. L2021.0902.003

Throughout the ages, mathematicians have developed ways to calculate — sometimes by finding numerical shortcuts, other times by creating ingenious mechanisms. Part of this exhibition explores a selection of calculating devices from the past when “computer” referred to a person adding columns of numbers or cranking out figures on a mechanical calculator.

Dodecahedron, Hexahedron, and Rhombic Triacontahedron sculptures, c. 2019. Stacy Speyer. Laser cut stainless steel, hand bent, with stainless steel fasteners. Courtesy of the artist. L2021.0912.001-.03
Dodecahedron, Hexahedron, and Rhombic Triacontahedron sculptures, c. 2019. Stacy Speyer. Laser cut stainless steel, hand bent, with stainless steel fasteners. Courtesy of the artist. L2021.0912.001-.03

Mathematics: Vintage and Modern is located post-security in Terminal 2 of the San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is accessible to ticketed passengers and by prior arrangement by emailing curator@flysfo.com.

Visit sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/mathematics-vintage-and-modern for more information.

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About SFO Museum

Established in 1980 by the Airport Commission, SFO Museum’s mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport. Today, SFO Museum features 25 galleries throughout the airport terminals displaying a rotating schedule of art, history, science, and cultural exhibitions, as well as the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which houses a permanent collection of more than 140,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation. To browse current and past exhibitions, research our collection, or for more information, please visit www.sfomuseum.org.

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