Maths & Puzzles
Penrose Puzzle
How can order emerge without repetition?
Arrange the two basic shapes to create ever-changing patterns. This exhibit shows that mathematical order can exist without periodic repetition.
The Science Behind It
The Penrose pattern consists of just two basic shapes that can be combined according to specific rules. They create so-called aperiodic patterns: clearly structured arrangements that never repeat exactly. Mathematician Roger Penrose discovered this principle in 1974. Similar structures also occur in nature, for example in quasicrystals. They show that order can exist without regular repetition.
