Professor Designs Exhibit for Nation’s First Museum of Mathematics

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Chaim Goodman-Strauss with the Shapes of Space exhibit at the National Museum of Mathematics.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chaim Goodman-Strauss, professor and chair of the department of mathematics in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, helped design the Shapes of Space exhibit for the National Museum of Mathematics. Located in New York, MoMath is the nation’s only museum devoted solely to math.

“It’s a great honor to have Fulbright College linked to this new and innovative facility,” said Robin Roberts, dean of the college. “Dr. Goodman-Strauss is an original and creative thinker, and his work continually demonstrates how science and art are inextricably linked.” 

The New York Times described the museum as a type of “high-tech playground” that is meant to “show that math is fun, engaging, exciting.” The museum defines the Shapes of Space exhibit as three differently curved stations set up to discover how shapes fit together differently depending on the curvature of the space they inhabit.

The exhibit makes math “real and direct, so that even small children can get something out of it,” Goodman-Strauss said.

The professor attended the sold-out Opening Ceremony, a black-tie gala held on Dec. 12, followed by the museum’s opening on Dec. 15.

“It’s not very often that you have hundreds of mathematicians in black ties, all together in one place,” he said. “It was very exciting.” 

In addition to his involvement with the Shapes of Space exhibit, Goodman-Strauss returned to MoMath earlier this month to help design materials to train museum guides on how to clearly explain the exhibits.

“Chaim is phenomenal, his enthusiasm and knowledge has been wonderful,” said Cindy Lawrence, associate director of the museum. “He had so many wonderful ideas and so much feedback that we invited him back to help with improvements over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. We feel so lucky to have him.”