Hyperbolic crochet.
Mrs Bennet, Head of Mathematics, has been enthusiastically introducing Form III to hyperbolic crochet, resulting in some very beautiful work. She explains:
‘What is hyperbolic space? We are used to the idea that two parallel lines will never converge and will always be the same distance apart. In hyperbolic geometry, parallel lines converge in one direction and diverge in the other. In Euclidean geometry the angles inside a triangle sum to 180 degrees, but in hyperbolic space, the sum is less than this.
In 1997 Cornell University mathematican Daina Taimina finally worked out how to make a physical model of hyperbolic space that allows us to feel, and to explore, the properties of this unique geometry. The method she used was crochet.
Pupils in Form III are currently learning how to crochet, and will eventually crochet some hyperbolic planes for exploration of non-Euclidean geometry. Crochet improves dexterity, the ability to follow a pattern, and allows us to create, something very beautiful. We also hope, in conjunction with the Art Department, to be able to create a hyperbolic crochet coral reef of the type described here:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-to-crochet-a-coral-reef-and-why/ ‘
