Marie C. Taris - Creativity

In the capacity of Associate Editor-in-Chief of The Notices of the American Mathematical Society, I pored over manuscripts, red pen in hand, from January through Semptember of 2009. Of the many manuscripts The Notices received, 47 were picked for publication. They were published in The Notices in 2010, 2011, and will be in 2012 as well. I believe these feature articles will be enticing to a broad readership. Indeed, from the get-go, we wanted for The Notices to be an exciting read, not only for the seasoned research mathematician, but also for the graduate mathematics student, for the educator and, more inclusively, for all people interested in mathematics.

In that context, a series of articles on the topic of Mathematics, Creativity, and the Arts quickly came to mind as one that would be accessible and of interest to many. Having discussed and edited 14 articles for the series, reading the reactions of referees and experts in mathematics and other fields, it has now been confirmed for me that the topic of Mathematics, Creativity, and the Arts is one that fascinates mathematicians and nonmathematicians alike. I believe this series will prompt readers who may never have thought to glance at a mathematics journal to pick up The Notices.

To read some of the articles in the series, visit the January 2010 issue of the Notices page.

Mathematics, Creativity, and the Arts is a topic I feel keenly motivated to explore. Having personally studied music and mathematics, I discern a certain underlying architecture in moments of creativity and insight that I think to be common to both subjects. This experience while mysterious, inspiring, and at times transcendent is not uncommon. It has been my hope that many accounts, from different perspectives can shed light on this creative connection. It became the series's starting point.

The series includes articles on mathematics that is inspired by artistic expression, or that inspires artistic expression, or that includes some form of artistic expression. Also featured are articles on the creative, artistic, and transcendent nature of mathematics as it is perceived by the writer-mathematician. When appropriate, I encouraged authors to share their conclusions on the creative process. For this series, I was also compelled to stress that the mathematics and mathematicians must remain center-stage. Certainly, in any endeavors for The Notices, I strove to incorporate high level mathematical contents.

If you would like to share thoughts on the topic of Mathematics, Creativity, and the Arts, Email me at
marie at math dot wustl.edu.