Fumiko Futamura to present lecture on convergence of math, art

By Jack McClellan
Office of Media Relations
April 4, 2018

SAN MARCOS – Fumiko Futamura, associate professor of mathematics at Southwestern University in Georgetown, will deliver a presentation on the convergence between mathematics and art at Texas State University on Friday, April 13.

The presentation, “How to Mathematically Immerse Yourself in a Work of Art: Exploring the Geometry of Perspective,” will be held at 2 p.m. in Derrick Hall, Room 329. A reception will follow the lecture.

Futamura, a professor at Southwestern since 2007, will explore the mathematics behind perspective drawing, which allow two-dimensional drawings to give the illusion of three dimensions. An artist as well as a mathematician, Futamura views math as an art form. This view is reflected in her most recent research, developing and strengthening the relationship between perspective drawing and projective geometry, a non-Euclidean geometry that was initially inspired by perspective.

The presentation is a part of Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, which is held in April to increase the understanding and awareness of these fields. The month-long mathematics celebration is a program of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM), a collaborative effort of the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Futamura’s presentation is sponsored by the Department of Mathematics, in collaboration with the School of Art and Design.

About Texas State University

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,694 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 184,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world. Designated an Emerging Research University by the State of Texas, Texas State is classified under “Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity,” the second-highest designation for research institutions under the Carnegie classification system.