THE IDEAS BEHIND THE ART

Mathematics is shared.

Set in Prime follows a tradition of making pictures from the digits of prime numbers. The idea predates this project.

Prime-number art

James McKee’s Trinity Hall prime depicts the college’s coat of arms in the digits of a prime number. Zachary Abel’s Prime Portraits, published at Bridges 2016, explores prime numbers that display intricate visual patterns.

Proofs anyone can check

Our downloadable proofs use Lean and the mathlib community library. The primality argument uses a Pocklington-style criterion. Set in Prime adds personal name layouts, printable artwork, and a proof project for each exact number.

Artwork and type

The portrait uses a custom digit-grid alphabet. Portable vector text uses outlines from the DejaVu fonts; their license is included with the project’s artwork resources.

Set in Prime is an independent project by Ian M. Finn. These credits do not imply endorsement or affiliation.