Public Lecture Patterns & Tessellations: Models for Regular Structures
Speaker: Dr. Michael Winckler • Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Germany
February 19, 2026 • 14:30 - 15: 30 • STIAS, Auditorium 2, Stellenbosch & Online
Tessellations are all around us: Subdividing surfaces in a regular, repetitive way is pleasing to the eye and gives floors, carpets and even fabrics an interesting geometric texture. Ideal tessellations are also a subject for mathematicians to investigate.
How are tessellations constructed?
Can we categorize all possible regular patterns?
How complex can such tessellations become?
Join us for a public lecture on the topic of tessellations. Learn about the regular patterns in one and two dimensions, about irregular tessellations that can tile surfaces without ever repeating themselves and finally about the "Einstein tile", a single geometric tiling structure that was discovered in 2022 and completes the search for a perfect tessellation tile. Participants will have an opportunity to create and take home their own tessellation model.
Experience the art and science of tessellations, connected to paper folding and origami, like never before!
Attendance is free, but registration is compulsory.