Quilting related to math...

not my quilt---just an image to illustrate
Okay
I can't resist! We ALL know how much math is involved in quilting....but, here's another aspect of math related to quilting some of you don't know about. I'm sitting during a morning break in class, and had a light-bulb moment just now.
How many of you have tried quilting "Orange peel" or other motifs and wrack your brain on how to quilt it in one-continuous pattern without overlapping any seams??


Bridges of Konigsberg: Graph theory----got some time? Check it out!

In layman's terms---there is a whole field of math called "Graph theory." One area of study can be used in quilting because there are rules and formulas that involve how many "edges" coming from "points" and whether or not they can all be connected without crossing over each other. Depending if the number of edges is even or odd, one can determine if it's possible to quilt draw the shape without lifting the pencil or drawing over any edge more than once.


a quote from the page...

Graph Theory Today

Today, graph theory is a highly developed field of mathematics, and is both a fertile ground for the creation of new mathematics and an area with many, many applications. Many research problems in graph theory are easily stated and easily understood (although perhaps not easily solved). A few of the applications of graph theory include transportation and warehousing applications, planning and scheduling, analysis of electrical networks, and even understanding the Internet!

Litte do they know that QUILTERS would appreciate any knowledge in Graph Theory too!