Surface Trilogy by Indira Chatterji

Three short movies about very different phenomenas on surfaces. Those movies are meant to be enjoyed in a meditative state, regardless of the mathematics that one understands.

We don't understand mathematics, but get used to it (famous mathematician).

An explanation regarding that trilogy.



1. Fluidity

A Klein bottle with a disk removed, morphs into Mobius' briefs... and back. The theme here is the impossibility to define an orientation.





2. Genus Two

A genus 2 surface, built from one single octogonal cell by identifying pieces of the boundary. Once the octogonal cell is open, we draw a trivial loop on the surface and follow the loop retracting in the octogonal cell. The theme here is a visualisation of a presentation of the fundamental group.





3. Twist

A Dehn twist on a torus. This is a homeomorphism which is the identity far from a simple closed curve: here the one along which the torus is cut. So, cut along the curve, give it a full turn and glue back. Any curve intersecting the curve along which we twist will be modified. The theme here is transformations of surfaces.




Indira Chatterji