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Product Description This book on symmetric geometric patterns of Islamic art has educational, aesthetic, cultural and practical purposes. Its central purpose is to bring to the attention of the world in general, and the people of Islamic culture in particular, the potential of the art for providing a unified experience of science and art in the context of mathematical education. Unlike other books on Islamic patterns, this book emphasizes the educational potential in the context of modern physics, chemistry, crystallography and computer graphics. The symmetric structure of about 250 Islamic patterns is presented. Simple, but detailed original, unpublished algorithms suitable for modern computer graphics are given for the construction of two-dimensional periodic patterns. Endorsed by prominent experts from the fields of Physics to Systems and Cybernetics, this book promises to be a must-read, not only for specialised mathematicians, but also for students, graphic artists, illustrators, computer hobbyists, as well as the lay reader keen to explore Islamic art. From Scientific American "... a masterly account of the way in which art and science are combined into aesthetic beauty by the Islamic geometric designs and motifs which decorate much of the Eastern World." From The New Yorker "... This book will allow readers to travel through time and space, from ancient ornaments to the most modern computer graphics patterns." Review "... a major contribution to the world of science and of particular value to the documention of the culture of Islam." -- N Gedal "Ever since the discovery of the existence of seventeen space groups in two dimensions by Fedorov in 1891, it has been speculated that all seventeen could be found in Islamic art. But it is in this book that this remarkable fact is for the first time detailed and analysed, with beautiful illustrations. Rarely is there such a thought-provoking blend of esthetics and geometry with abstraction." -- C N Yang "The authors' love for Islamic art and symmetry shines through every page of this book." -- The Chemical Intelligencer, 1996 "The book is very richly illustrated with lovely color plates and some beautiful photographs." -- J S Joel, Mathemati