June 27, 2011

Borromean Triangles


Intuition, by sculptor John Robinson, consists of three, interwoven equilateral triangles presented in a symmetrical arrangement. Immersed in greenery, the four-foot, stainless-steel sculpture sits near the entrance to the Fields Institute for Research in the Mathematical Sciences at 222 College Street in Toronto.

Robinson's construction is an angular version of the famous Borromean rings. Three rings are linked together in such a way that removing any one ring leaves the other two unattached.

"For me this sculpture represents a knotted core of stability within the centre of knowledge," Robinson remarked, "from which comes sparks of originality and invention, often for no apparent reason."


The sculpture was presented to the Fields Institute in 1997 in recognition of the 90th birthday of geometer H.S.M. (Donald) Coxeter.

Photos by I. Peterson

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