ICTS

We see patterns everywhere, like spots on leopards, stripes on zebras, spots and stripes on lady beetles, etc. Pattern formation plays a central role in understanding the development of organisms. There are various real-life examples of pattern formation on curved surfaces such as spatial patterns of protein molecules which play an important role in cellular processes. These protein patterns are known to be sensitive to cell shape. Pattern formation on animal skin is another example where the surface is not flat. These surfaces typically have finite thickness. The shape of the surface can affect the size and orientation of patterns. In this talk, I will explain how geometry plays a central role in the formation of patterns.