Helaman Ferguson

Helaman Rolfe Pratt Ferguson, born in 1940 in Salt Lake City, Utah, was an American artist. He was known for his work as a sculptor and a digital artist.

Ferguson loved creating art using exact mathematical patterns. This area is called being an algorist.

He was also famous for creating the PSLQ algorithm. This helped find connections between whole numbers. It was useful for mathematicians and computer experts. His work linked art and math in a special way.

Early life and education

Helaman Ferguson's mother passed away when he was about three years old, and his father left to serve in the Second World War. He was then adopted by an Irish immigrant and grew up in New York. His adoptive father, who worked as a carpenter and stonemason, taught him how to work with his hands using materials like clay and stone. A math teacher in high school who loved art helped him explore both math and art.

Ferguson graduated from Hamilton College, a school in New York that focuses on liberal arts. Later, in 1971, he earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Washington.

Work

In 1977, Helaman Ferguson worked with a mathematician named Rodney Forcade to create a special math method. Later, he made an even better method called the PSLQ algorithm, which was chosen as one of the best of the century.

Ferguson is also an artist who uses math in his sculptures. One of his famous works is a bronze shape called the Umbilic Torus. In 2010, he made a very large version of this sculpture for Stony Brook University. It was finished in 2012. This huge piece is over 8 meters tall and sits on a base with math formulas on it.

Juggling

In 1987, Helaman Ferguson ran 50 miles in 16 hours while juggling. He also made and sold juggling balls through the mail.