"A stunning book ... a thrilling read" (Peter Frankopan) that reveals how creative people can harness the profound and productive relationship between mathematics and the arts
When Shakespeare has the Three Witches cast Macbeth's lot, he uses something very weird to do it: not simply "eye of newt and toe of frog," but the number seven. And when Hamlet claims, "To be or not to be, that is the question," Shakespeare reaches for eleven. For Shakespeare, prime numbers were magical. And he is not alone.
As Marcus du Sautoy showcases in Blueprints, creativity is inseparable from mathematics. The designs of Le Corbusier and Leonardo; the music of Glass, Bach, and Debussy; the wild visions of Dali, the choreography of Laban, the animation of Pixar--all are shot through with mathematics, from primes and fractals to the weirder worlds of Hamiltonian cycles and hyperbolic geometry. And Du Sautoy argues that the relationship runs both ways. Just as mathematics inspires new art, the artistic mindset is a necessity for discovering new mathematics.
Blueprints will expand your mind, but more importantly, it shows how to ignite your imagination. Anyone who wants to create needs this book.
Review Quotes:
"A stunning book - filled with insights and connections that are as dazzling as they are unexpected. A thrilling read."-- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads
" Blueprints sings as a book about maths that is also grounded in art. Du Sautoy is skilled at bringing numerical concepts to life ... I left it better understanding, and enjoying, the problems pondered by mathematicians, helped by the creations of artists like J.S. Bach and Jorge Luis Borges."-- New Scientist
"No one could doubt Du Sautoy's enthusiasm for his subject ... In this informed and wide-ranging study, he shows that imagination is not the preserve of the artistically inclined - sometimes the so-called nerds are the cool kids with the brilliant ideas ... An invigorating read."-- Observer
"One of the many strengths of Blueprints is that it is partly a memoir: an accomplished musician and longtime collaborator with theatrical companies, du Sautoy is exploring the harmonies and convergences within his own passions. The effect is infectious, as is to be expected from one of our most important public intellectuals. A book that will transform your appreciation of mathematics and art."-- New European
"Readers of Blueprints will come away with a deeper understanding of art, and a greater appreciation for maths." -- Prospect
"[One] of Britain's finest maths writers...fascinating." -- Financial Times
"An impressive... exploration of links between math and the arts." -- Publishers Weekly
Financial Times Best Books of 2025, Economics
Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford and a fellow of New College and of the Royal Society. He has presented on numerous radio and TV series, including the BBC's The Story of Maths, and is also a playwright. He lives in London.