Guilloché Patterns

"A guilloché pattern might be very close to you at the moment. Paper banknotes, passports, identification cards, certificates, checks, bonds, and warranties all frequently feature guilloché pattern. In figure 1, the elaborate lines are an example of such a pattern.

You may have made a guilloché pattern yourself. In 1962, Denys Fisher was designing bomb detonators for NATO, and his research inspired him to invent spirograph (I frankly don't see the connection, myself). Although considered a child's toy, the spirograph has some serious math behind it. The patterns the toy produces, called epitrochoids, have been studied by Dürer, Desargues, Leibniz, Newton, L'Hospital, Bernoulli, and Euler. They belong to a class of curves called roulettes..."

Ed Pegg Jr., February 9, 2004

Math Games
Guilloché Patterns
maa.org

 

LINK

Comments

[Christopher Meisenzahl]

Many high end mechanical watches have their movements decorated in a similar manner.

See
timezone.com
thepurists.com

Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/

[Lohr]

The Spirograph! I was just thinking about them-- if they were still made. This is the first mention I've ever heard of the origin of the Spirograph.

[Bill]

Spirographs are still around! You can get your very own for about $8. http://www.spirograph.com