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Artists and scientists view the world in quite different ways. Nevertheless, they are united in a search for hidden order beneath surface appearances. The quest for eternal geometrical designs is also seen in the sacred mathematical patterns created by the world’s great religions, such as Buddhism and Islam.

Celestial Tapestry presents brief, digestible accounts of the influences that have occurred between maths and the arts by focusing on very intriguing characters, such as the soldier who laid the foundations for fractals and computer art while recovering in hospital after suffering serious injury in the First World War; the mathematician imprisoned for bigamy whose books had a huge influence on 20th century art; the pioneer clockmaker who suffered from leprosy; and the Victorian housewife who amazed mathematicians with her intuition for higher-dimensional space.

• An engaging presentation of mathematical ideas for easy consumption.

• Enables the reader to understand maths and science in a broader cultural and historical context.