Computer based design of Islamic geometric patterns

About the speaker: Craig S. Kaplan is an Associate Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. Islamic art encompasses one of the world’s greatest traditions of decorative geometric patterns. These patterns are well suited for study, construction and visualization using computational techniques. Professor Kaplan will discuss his ongoing research on the structure of Islamic geometric patterns, and algorithms for constructing them automatically. He will also present several novel artistic variations based on techniques that would have been impossible or impractical historically. These variations allow contemporary craftspeople to create innovative new designs that are still recognizably part of an ancient tradition.