Math Concepts Explained for the Curious
A Selection of Math Concepts
Mathematics is not just a way of manipulating numbers, it is a system for ordering and describing how things behave, how patterns self assemble, and why some things feel right to us, while other things feel messy.
This page explains some of the concepts that show up in our Math Hub, the variables and systems behind art and creativity. From fractals to language, knowing why things move the way they do leads to a greater appreciation of form.
Hurst Exponent
The Hurst exponent is a single number that reveals whether a system has memory — whether its past shapes its future, or whether it is simply wandering at random.
Bird Song Analysis
Bird song is not just beautiful — it is mathematically persistent, and the Hurst exponent reveals the hidden order in every phrase a bird sings.
Pink Noise
Pink noise is the sound of mathematical balance — where power drops as frequency rises, landing in the sweet spot between random and predictable.
Tessellation Style
Beneath every tiling pattern, Islamic mosaics tessellated figures, lies one of exactly 17 mathematical rules that govern all repeating art
L-System
Explore how simple rules generate infinite complexity, the mathematics behind how plants grow, visualized as interactive fractal trees.
L-System Music
The same grammar that grows a tree can make music. Listen to four L-system grammars played as a melody and hear how simple math creates complexity.
Cellular Automaton
An interactive cellular automaton where wave fronts and spiral cores emerge across the field. Mathematically derived, but a model of our physical world.
Multiplication Circle
Explore how a modular multiplication circle draws mandalas, cardioids, nephroids, and epicycloids inside a circle.