The world of math has never been more beautiful than it is in the hands of these young artists. The Desmos graphing calculator has taken on a new form, allowing students to create stunning artwork using mathematical equations. This competition has brought out the best in creativity and problem-solving skills from students all over.

One standout piece, 'Victim Turned Villain,' was submitted by Grace Kanaley, a sophomore at Huntington Beach High School in California. Inspired by Greek mythology and math, she spent about five hours every day for a month to finish her masterpiece. The intricate details of the drawing required her to learn new trigonomic functions to rotate parabolas and make ovals.

The submissions were not limited to just static images; some students even used programming languages like Python to animate their creations. For example, one student used Fourier Transform functions to bring a flower to life on screen.

What's impressive about this competition is that these are not concepts typically found in high-school math textbooks. Yet, these young artists have been so motivated to create beautiful graphs that they've gone above and beyond their school curriculum to learn advanced math concepts usually reserved for college-level students.

Suzanne von Oy, a graphing specialist at Desmos, is thrilled with the results. 'It's been impressive to see students create true masterpieces,' she says. Another contestant recreated Vincent Van Gogh's famous 'Starry Night' using Bézier curves, a technique often used in computer graphics.

These students are not professional animators or graphic artists; they're just passionate about math and art. They've taken the limitations of using a graphing calculator as a challenge and have created stunning pieces that could easily pass for postcards from iconic destinations like the Hong Kong skyline or the Eiffel Tower.

The competition, announced on March 6, has been a huge success, with students showcasing their creativity and problem-solving skills. As von Oy puts it, 'It's wildly outside what most students get exposed to in school.' These young artists have truly pushed the boundaries of what's possible with math and art, and we can't wait to see what they come up with next.

'Desmos Graphing Calculator Art'

Desmos graphing calculator art