Do Plants Know Math?
In this episode of Breaking Math, host Autumn, chats with authors Christophe Gole and Nancy Pick to explore the fascinating intersection of mathematics and biology, particularly focusing on the mathematical patterns found in plants in their new book “Do Plants Know Math?” They discuss the historical context of plant mathematics, common patterns such as Fibonacci sequences, the golden ratio, and the allure of spirals in nature. The conversation also touches on the optimization of plant structures, the role of women in the field, and recommendations for further reading.
About the Guests
Dr. Christophe Golé and Nancy Pick
Christophe Golé was born in France and raised partly in northern Africa. He has held positions at the University of Minnesota, ETH (Zurich), the State University of New York at Stony Brook and University of California, Santa Cruz.
Golé is a mathematics professor at Smith College and the author of a book on dynamical systems, Symplectic Twist Maps, a survey of that subfield, in which he describes some strange objects that he baptized ghost tori—whose topology is an instance of the so-called Floer cohomology.
Golé's more recent research interest is in mathematical biology, and more specifically, plant pattern formation (phyllotaxis). One well-publicized phenomenon is the very frequent occurrence of Fibonacci numbers of spirals in sunflowers, pine cones and most other plants. He and his colleagues have studied different mathematical models, compared their simulations to plant data and proved theorems explaining the Fibonacci phenomenon. More recently, they have shed light on what plants do when they do not exhibit Fibonacci phyllotaxis.
He was one of the founders and directors of the NSF-funded 4 College Biomath Consortium, which has given rise to the Five College Biomathematical Sciences Certificate Program.
Nancy Pick writes books about science and history. Her new book, 'Do Plants Know Math?' -- coauthored with three scientists -- has just been published by Princeton University Press. The beautifully illustrated volume promises to open your eyes to patterns in nature, while addressing a profound mystery: Why do Fibonacci spirals appear in so many plants, from sunflowers to artichokes? Dive in, together with physicist Stéphane Douady (France), biologist Jacques Dumais (Chile) and mathematician Christophe Golé (US).
Nancy's first book, 'The Rarest of the Rare,' (HarperCollins), about the natural history collections at Harvard, was named one of the best science books of the year by Discover magazine.
She is also coauthor of 'The Writer and the Refugee' (first published in Sweden and France), together with Lo Dagerman. The book tells the story behind a disturbing play based on Nancy's ancestral cousin Etta Federn, a writer and anarcha-feminist in Berlin. In 2017, Nancy and Lo translated the play and produced its successful run off-off-Broadway, as "Marty's Shadow."
Together with her husband, author and law professor Lawrence Douglas, Nancy raised two sons who are very much loved. She lives in Sunderland, Massachusetts, in a 200-year-old farmhouse under the shadow of Mt. Sugarloaf.
How to Support Us
Stay Connected: You can connect with Christophe Gole and Nancy Pick on LinkedIn, and find their Book “Do Plants Know Math?” on Amazon.
Check out the Art Gallery at Smith College with the exhibit on the show here.
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