Thread by @nytimes

Math + art = fun

Erik and Martin Demaine, a father-and-son team of “algorithmic typographers," have created a suite of mathematically inspired fonts that are also puzzles. nyti.ms/2UCWEsS

One font, a homage to the mathematician and juggler Ron Graham, who died in 2020, draws its letters from the patterns of motion traced by balls thrown into the air during juggling tricks. nyti.ms/2UCWEsS

Another font, proposed by the computer scientist Donald Knuth, has as its distinguishing characteristic that all letters can be “dissected” — cut into pieces and rearranged — into a 6-by-6 square. nyti.ms/2UCWEsS

A Sudoku font works as follows: First, start with one of their Sudoku puzzles and solve it. Next, draw a line connecting the longest path of squares with consecutive numbers. That line draws the shape of a letter within the grid of the puzzle. nyti.ms/2UCWEsS

In 2002 Erik Demaine was conferred the title of “Tetris Master” by the Harvard Tetris Society.

Last fall, the Demaines published their Tetris Font, which is a continuation of their studies into the computational complexity of the iconic video game. nyti.ms/2UCWEsS

Inspired by theorems or open problems, the fonts — and the messages they compose — can usually be read only after solving the related puzzle or series of puzzles.

Take a look at other mathematically inspired fonts created by the Demaines: nyti.ms/2UCWEsS