In a Creative Inquiry, students visualize mathematical concepts to deepen understanding
For many, math and art feel like opposite ends of the spectrum.
Math is associated with formulas, logic and correct answers, while art is tied to creativity and personal expression. But a Creative Inquiry course at Clemson University is challenging that assumption, showing students that the two disciplines often overlap in surprising and visually striking ways.
The course, led by mathematics lecturer Alice Hui with support from art professor Joey Manson, invites students to explore mathematical ideas through artistic creation. Instead of simply solving equations, students examine examples of mathematical artwork before transforming concepts such as sequences, symmetry and algorithms into their own visual designs.
“There are many beautiful ideas in math,” said Hui.
For Laura Gomez ’27, a rising senior in computer science, the connection between math and art began years before college.
“When I was in sixth grade, my math teacher introduced me to this YouTuber, Vi Hart, who talked about how math and art connect. I had no idea. I was the math girl. My sister was the creative one,” Gomez said.
Gomez became obsessed with the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers that begins with 0 and 1 and each subsequent number is created by adding the two before it. Fibonacci numbers frequently appear in nature. For instance, many flowers have a Fibonacci number of petals, such as lilies (three), buttercups (five) and delphiniums (eight).
In the class, Gomez experimented with ways to represent Fibonacci number patterns visually. She created branching diagrams known as “trees,” a structure commonly used in computer science to organize data.
Eventually, she shifted to a related mathematical pattern called the Pell sequence, which produced shapes she found more visually interesting. She also used a computer science algorithm called depth-first search to determine the order in which colors appear in her design.
Another student, Srineeth Alapati ’26, approached the project from a different direction. A computer science major with a mathematics minor, Alapati based his artwork on group theory, a branch of abstract algebra that studies how elements interact according to certain rules.
He translated those rules into colorful grids that function like multiplication tables. To add another layer of meaning, Alapati incorporated insects into the design after a discussion with a friend studying entomology.
“Insects have a lot of symmetry,” he said. “Group theory is the study of symmetry.”
For Manson, projects like these highlight a connection between disciplines that are often taught separately.
“If you find some really groundbreaking mathematicians, they’re going to be very creative individuals,” he said. “Plenty of artists are very logical with their approaches to art making. The subjects are more connected than people realize.”
