Exponential growth visualized through yarn and crochet hooks serves as the foundational principle for Daina Taimiņa’s unique contribution to non-Euclidean geometry. Born in 1954 in Riga, Latvia, Taimiņa transformed how mathematicians and students alike perceive the highly abstract properties of hyperbolic planes, turning complex mathematical equations into tangible, physical models that defy the limitations of flat surfaces.
Academic Foundations in Latvia
Taimiņa completed her primary education at Riga State Gymnasium No.1 before advancing to the University of Latvia. In 1977, she graduated summa cum laude and subsequently pursued graduate studies in Theoretical Computer Science under the guidance of advisor Rūsiņš Mārtiņš Freivalds. Due to Soviet-era academic restrictions in Latvia, she defended her doctoral thesis at the Institute of Mathematics of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in Minsk, earning the title of Candidate of Sciences. Following Latvia's independence in 1991, she secured her higher doctoral degree from the University of Latvia, where she spent two decades teaching.
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Take the IQ test →The Evolution of Hyperbolic Crochet
In 1997, while attending a geometry workshop at Cornell University, Taimiņa encountered a fragile paper model of a hyperbolic plane created by David Henderson and designed by William Thurston. Seeking a more durable alternative, she experimented with crochet patterns based on exponential growth algorithms. By increasing the stitch count consistently across rows, she produced material that folded into complex hyperbolic shapes. This tactile methodology proved superior to abstract symbols for students, offering a holistic understanding of the non-Euclidean space.
Transition to Cornell and Public Impact
Taimiņa joined the Cornell University Mathematics Department in December 1996. Her classroom sets of crocheted models became a centerpiece of her teaching, later appearing in textbooks co-authored with Henderson, such as "Experiencing Geometry: Euclidean and non-Euclidean with History." Beyond academia, her work caught the attention of the Institute For Figuring. This led to international exhibitions in institutions including the Smithsonian Museum, the Cooper–Hewitt, National Design Museum, and the Institut Henri Poincaré. Her efforts eventually earned the 2012 Euler Book Prize and the 2009 Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year for her work, "Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes."
Fast facts
- Born: 1954, Riga, Latvia
- Citizenship: United States; Latvia
- Primary Field: Geometry and Topology
- Notable Work: Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes
- Academic Base: Cornell University
- 2012 Award: Euler Book Prize
- 2009 Award: Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year
Questions readers ask
What inspired the crocheted models?
Taimiņa created the models to provide a durable, tactile alternative to fragile paper models of hyperbolic planes used in geometry education.
How is hyperbolic geometry represented in crochet?
By following an algorithm that increases the number of stitches at an exponential rate, the fabric naturally folds into the geometry of a hyperbolic plane.
Achievements
- Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year — 2009
- Euler Book Prize — 2012
- Notable work: Knitting adventures with hyperbolic planes
- Held posts at Cornell University
- Fields: topology, geometry and mathematics
