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Product Description Tessellations: Mathematics, Art and Recreation aims to present a comprehensive introduction to tessellations (tiling) at a level accessible to non-specialists. Additionally, it covers techniques, tips, and templates to facilitate the creation of mathematical art based on tessellations. Inclusion of special topics like spiral tilings and tessellation metamorphoses allows the reader to explore beautiful and entertaining math and art. The book has a particular focus on ‘Escheresque’ designs, in which the individual tiles are recognizable real-world motifs. These are extremely popular with students and math hobbyists but are typically very challenging to execute. Techniques demonstrated in the book are aimed at making these designs more achievable. Going beyond planar designs, the book contains numerous nets of polyhedra and templates for applying Escheresque designs to them. Activities and worksheets are spread throughout the book, and examples of real-world tessellations are also provided. Key features Introduces the mathematics of tessellations, including symmetry Covers polygonal, aperiodic, and non-Euclidean tilings Contains tutorial content on designing and drawing Escheresque tessellations Highlights numerous examples of tessellations in the real world Activities for individuals or classes Filled with templates to aid in creating Escheresque tessellations Treats special topics like tiling rosettes, fractal tessellations, and decoration of tiles Review "A treasure trove of geometric delights, this book will draw you into the beautiful and deep questions of mathematics that come from the simple question of how shapes fit together."– Edmund Harriss, University of Arkansas and the co-author of Patterns of the Universe: A Coloring Adventure in Math and Beauty "A beautifully presented, comprehensive introduction to tessellations––what tessellation enthusiasts and teachers (at all levels) have wished for. The author, a talented tessellations artist himself, captures the fascination of tessellations through beautiful color illustrations. His chapters touch on every aspect of tessellations―their history, the many different types, where they occur, their symmetries, ways in which they are classified, their practical uses. More than half of the book is devoted to thoughtful advice and careful descriptions of how to create various kinds of tessellations. Questions and activities (often with helpful worksheets or templates) throughout are useful not only for teachers and students, but for anyone who wishes to test their understanding. This is truly an indispensible book for all those who want to learn about, teach, or make tessellations."– Doris Schattschneider, Recipient of Mathematical Association of America's Carl B. Allendoerfer Award and the author of M.C. Escher Kaleidocycles "Fathauer's book is a fun, accessible, and lavishly illustrated guide to the universe of tessellations. You can study the structure of tessellations, and even learn to make your own. It's certain to appeal to anyone who wants to explore this beautiful topic at the intersection of art and mathematics."– Craig Kaplan, University of Waterloo "A gorgeously illustrated romp through tiling theory, a pleasure to read and fun for all ages and levels and a must for every geometry classroom and geometry buff’s bookshelf!– Chaim Goodman-Strauss, University of Arkansas and the co-author of The Symmetries of Things About the Author Robert Fathauer has had a life-long interest in art but studied physics and mathematics in college, going on to earn a PhD from Cornell University in electrical engineering. For several years he was a researcher at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Long a fan of M.C. Escher, he began designing his own tessellations with lifelike motifs in the late 1980s. In 1993, he founded a business, Tessellations, to produce puzzles based on his designs. Over time, Tessellati