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In new book, math professor reveals hidden math in Shakespeare, Radiohead, and Pixar [1]
['Ellsworth Toohey']
Date: 2025-09-09
A new book by Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy challenges the notion that mathematics and art occupy separate worlds. In Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity, du Sautoy demonstrates how mathematical structures underpin everything from Jackson Pollock's paintings to Radiohead's music.
The book, out today, explores how creative works across all media are built on mathematical foundations — what du Sautoy calls "blueprints." These range from geometric patterns like the Möbius strip to numerical sequences like prime numbers. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy uses special effects inspired by the Mandelbrot set, while Jorge Luis Borges' Library of Babel describes what mathematicians would recognize as a four-dimensional torus.
As both a mathematician and artist himself — he plays cello and writes plays — du Sautoy argues that the relationship between math and creativity flows both ways. The artistic mindset, with its emphasis on experimentation and aesthetics, proves vital for mathematical discovery. "Mathematics and human artistic creativity constantly fuel each other," du Sautoy says.
Previously:
• Stephen Wolfram recounts the entire history of mathematics in 90 minutes
• Homer's Last Theorem
• The beauty and wisdom of mathematics
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