Optimization is the branch of mathematics concerned with optimal performance---finding the best way to complete a task.  It has been  put to good use in a great number of diverse disciplines: advertising,  agriculture, biology, business, economics,  engineering, manufacturing,  medicine, telecommunications, and transportation (to name but a few).  In this lecture, we will showcase its amazing utility by demonstrating  its applicability in the area of visual art, which at first glancewould seem to have no use for it whatsoever!  We will begin by  describing how to use integer programming to construct a portrait out of complete sets of double nine dominoes.  We will then describe  how high quality solutions to certain large-scale traveling salesman problems can lead to beautiful continuous line drawings. We will conclude by presenting other examples of Opt Art---art constructed with the assistance of mathematical optimization techniques.

Robert (Bob) Bosch is Professor of Mathematics and the Robert and Eleanor Biggs Professor of Natural Science at Oberlin College. He specializes in optimization, the branch of mathematics concerned with optimal performance.  Since 2001, Bosch has devoted increasing amounts of time and effort into devising and refining methods for using optimization to create pictures, portraits, and sculpture.  He has had pieces commissioned by Colorado College, Western Washington University, Occidental College, Spelman College, and the organizing committees of several academic conferences.  He operates a website, www.dominoartwork.com, from which it is possible to download free plans for several of his domino mosaics (including a 44-set portrait of President Barack Obama).  His sculpture Embrance was awarded first prize at the 2010 Mathematical Art Exhibition in San Francisco.

Many insights in geometry, including Perelman's 2003 proof of the Poincaré Conjecture, come from putting a positive weighting or "density" on volume and perimeter. The talk will include some open questions and progress by undergraduates.

Frank Morgan is the Atwell Professor of Mathematics at Williams College.  His primary interests are in minimal surfaces the behavior and structure of minimizers in various dimensions and settings. His proof with colleagues and students of the Double Bubble Connecture is featured at the NSF Discoveries site. He has six books: Geometric Measure Theory: a Beginner's Guide 2000, Calculus Lite 2001, Riemannian Geometry: a Beginner's Guide 1998,  The Math Chat Book 2000, based on his live, call-in Math Chat TV show and Math Chat column, Real Analysis 2005, and Real Analysis and Applications 2005.  In addition, he is a blogger for the Huffington Post, and he recently finished a trip though Asia including 41 talks.

Dr. Morgan received one of the first MAA national awards for distinguished teaching and has earned several other awards over the past two decades.  From 2000-2002 he served as Second Vice-President of the Mathematical Association of America.

Stan Yoshinobu is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at California Polytechnic State University, SLO.  He specializes is Mathematics Education, especially collegiate Mathematics Education. Currently, his professional work focuses on studying how students learn Mathematics, K-12 teacher education, and helping college professors and instructors learn to implement inquiry-based methods.  Dr, Yoshinobu is the Director of The Academy of Inquiry-Based Learning.

Dr. Yoshinobu earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from UCLA in the area of Real Analysis and Harmonic Analysis, studying under the guidance of John Garnett, before becoming interested in mathematics education as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Arizona.