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Now

Fall 2024

Current teaching
MATH 231 – Calculus with Functions I
MATH 103 – The Nature of Mathematics

Current collaborations
color pooling, forbidden graphs, symmetry explorer. matrix weaver, stick knots, games on graphs, cellular automata, soft sculptures

Year four!
Haynes Scholars Residential Learning Community

Stuff I’m making
Knitknots, Catalan snaps, volume nets, knitting machine punch cards, secret project involving rectangles

Recent

Recent publications and events

2021 AMS Calendar

Perko Morph is Mr. March!

Catalogs for Mathematical 3D-Prints

Downloadable files, print-on-demand, and interactive 3D visualizations

Catalog of 3D-Printable Catalan Solids

Catalog of 3D-Printable Spatial Graphs

Catalog of 3D-Printable Knots (coming soon)

Academic

Recent Publications

Recent peer-reviewed published articles

Predicting Planned Pooling Patterns, Laura Taalman and students Barb, Birch, Gonzalez, Jones, Makela, McClennan, and Wiermanski; Proceedings of Bridges Richmond: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture, to appear 2024.

Knit Knots: Large-Scale Soft Conformations of Minimum-Ropelength Knots and Links, Laura Taalman; Proceedings of Bridges Halifax: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture, p. 369–372, 2023. PDF

Ideal Spatial Graph Configurations, Stephen Lucas and Laura Taalman; Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Special Issue on Mathematical Illustration, Vol. 16, Issue 1-2, pp. 121-132, 2022. PDF / Citations

Categorizing Celtic Knot Designs, Roger Antonsen and Laura Taalman; Proceedings of Bridges Aalto: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture, p. 87–94, 2021. PDF / Citations

Modeling Dynamical Systems for 3D Printing, Stephen Lucas, Evelyn Sander, and Laura Taalman; Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 67, No.11, p. 1692-1705, 2020; and The Best Writing in Mathematics, 2021. PDF / Citations

Wallpaper Patterns for Lattice Designs, Laura Taalman and Carolyn Yackel; Proceedings of Bridges 2020: Mathematics, Art, Music, Education, Culture, pages 223-230, 2020. PDF
/ Citations

Optimizing Morton’s Tritangentless Knots for Rolling, Stephen Lucas, Laura Taalman, and student Abigail Eget; Proceedings of Bridges 2020: Mathematics, Art, Music, Education, Culture, pages 367-370, 2020. PDF

Opportunity Costs in the Game of Best Choice, Brant Jones, Laura Taalman, and students Crews, Myers, Urbanski, and Wilson; Electronic Journal of Combinatorics, Volume 26, Issue #1, 2019. PDF / Citations

Sequences of Spiral Knot Determinants, Laura Taalman and students Charlie Kim and Ryan Stees; Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 19, Issue #1, 2016. PDF / MathSciNet / Citations

→ See all papers

Selected Courses

Classes taught at James Madison University

Calculus with Functions I

MATH 231
*now online!*
STEM Calculus I with Precalculus

Fabrication and Analysis of 3D Puzzles

UNST 300E
General Education pilot course

Discrete Mathematics and Introduction to Proof

MATH 245
Bridge course for the major

→ See all classes

Active Labs

Learning spaces at James Madison University

JMU Experimental Mathematics Lab

Early exploratory undergraduate research in computational and experimental mathematics

JMU 3SPACE

General Education 3D Printing Classroom

→ Learn More

Selected Presentations

Talks at conferences and events

Software for Mathematical 3D Printing

Geometry Labs United Seminar

Making Math Real: Knot Theory

MAA Distinguished Carriage House Lecture

Knot Theory, Experimental Math, & 3D Printing

Math Encounters Public Lecture at MoMath

Printing Perfect Pentagons

5-minute talk at Gathering for Gardner G4G13

→ See all talks

mathgrrl

mathgrrl Designs

3D models and other geeky stuff

Perko Morph

Designed with KnotPlot, MeshLab, TopMod, and Meshmixer; 3D printed in full color powder with binder.

Giant Spiky Perko Knot

Designed with KnotPlot, TopMod, and Cura; 3D printed with FDM in Polylactic Acid with custom supports.

→ See all designs

HACKTASTIC

A blog about design, math, and failure

Cutting Knitting Machine Punch Cards with the Cricut Joy

Cutting Knitting Machine Punch Cards with the Cricut Joy https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cricut_punch_fit.jpg 2016 1512 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g December 1, 2022 December 16, 2022

In this post we’ll walk through the process of cutting knitting machine punch cards using the Cricut Joy mini craft cutter. The Joy is somehow *exactly* the right size for cutting directly onto blank machine punch cards! Well, almost… We will walk through the alignment and dimensioning process to make it all work out.

KH-260 Field Notes 2: Ribber Tube

KH-260 Field Notes 2: Ribber Tube https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/tube_knit_purple.jpg 2016 1512 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g November 19, 2022 November 30, 2022

This is part 2 of our notes as we work through the basics on a Brother KH-260 knitting machine. In part 1 we dusted off the machine and made a quick fair isle Trash Swatch. This time we’ll review how to get the ribber bed adjusted and lubricated, and then create a piece of circular knitting that is open on both ends.

KH-260 Field Notes 1: Trash Swatch

KH-260 Field Notes 1: Trash Swatch https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/field_notes_1_cover.jpg 2016 1512 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g September 24, 2022 November 30, 2022

This is the first of a series of blog posts that will catalog our adventures with a Brother KH-260 knitting machine. We’ve set up the machine and know the basics of using it in various ways, but what now? In this “Field Notes” series we’ll share quick notes about what we learn as we go forward. Nothing fancy, just a day-to-day journal of what works and what doesn’t. Like everything we post here at Hacktastic, we’ll talk a lot about our failures and problems, since that is where learn the most!

Crochet Rainbow Blanket

Crochet Rainbow Blanket https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/rainbow_blanket_1-scaled.jpg 2560 1920 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g August 26, 2022 August 27, 2022

This very simple blanket pattern is great for using up yarn scraps (or to give you an excuse to purchase more yarn, let’s be honest). The pattern is very forgiving about yarn thickness, and gives you a chance to play with color transitions. The finished piece is comfy and casual. The holes are fun to push your fingers through, and make the blanket airy and cool. Based on the Vintage Vertical Stripe Crocheted Blanket Pattern from Bella Dia, except with two rows of each color and some attention to detail at the edges.

Space-Filling Terrazzo – Getting Started

Space-Filling Terrazzo – Getting Started https://mathgrrl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/IMG_5906-1.jpeg 640 480 mathgrrl mathgrrl https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/de00911e0a27aa527aae53a60fc5b663?s=96&d=retro&r=g June 30, 2021 August 27, 2022

This is the first in a series of posts about a space-filling riff on Tinna’s Terrazzo Afghan. Our design is going to start off looking like one of Tinna’s Terazzo squares, but it’s going to continue as a larger and larger square, with lots of different but “space-filling” patterns along the way. It won’t be ONE space-filling curve (sorry, math geeks), but it will fill space efficiently as we build the pattern out from the center.

→ See all posts