Oliver Gross is a German mathematician who works in applied and computational mathematics, studying geometric and topological structures in natural systems, with a focus on fluid flows, plasmas, and locomotion, to develop structure-preserving algorithms for physics and graphics.
the artwork
Alle Jahre wieder...
German - Every year again... - 2025 - digital
audio commentary
The ornaments come from a geometric construction starting with a cylinder over a free elastic curve, a stationary point of the bending functional with periodic undulations like corrugations. This shape is transformed by inversion in a sphere, a classical operation in conformal geometry. The result is a Willmore surface, critical under the Willmore energy, thus aesthetically unifying ideas from differential geometry, calculus of variations, curve theory, and surface theory.
Oliver Gross
paths to mathematics - the artist's commentary
Oliver, What is the first mathematics you remember doing yourself?
Oliver, What drove you into doing mathematcis?
Oliver, why do you do mathematics?
Oliver, In what moments do you struggle in science?
Oliver, What do you enjoy in the everyday life of a mathematician?
Mathematics in German Culture
Germany has a long-standing history in mathematics, with many prominent figures either being German or having worked there, including Gauss and Klein. Their lasting impact is highlighted, for example, by Gauss being featured on the 10DM banknote.