Helaman Ferguson
Helaman Ferguson (born 1940 in Salt Lake City) is an American sculptor and digital artist who uses mathematics in his work. He helped develop the PSLQ algorithm, a method for detecting integer relations among numbers. Earlier, in 1977, he and Rodney Forcade created an algorithm that generalized the Euclidean algorithm to three or more numbers.
Life and education: His mother died when he was about three, and his father served in World War II. He was adopted by an Irish immigrant and grew up in New York. His adoptive father, a carpenter and stonemason, taught him hands-on craft with earthen materials. A high school math teacher sparked his interest in both math and art. He studied at Hamilton College and earned a PhD in mathematics from the University of Washington in 1971.
Art and sculpture: Ferguson often creates pieces that express mathematical ideas. One of his first bronze torii was shown in 1989 at a computer art exhibition in Boston. His best-known work is Umbilic Torus, a 69 cm bronze sculpture. In 2010 the Simons Foundation commissioned Umbilic Torus SC, a much larger 8.5 m tall sculpture in bronze and granite weighing more than nine tons. Installed in 2012 at Stony Brook University near the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, it stands on a granite base with formulas carved around it, and is supported by a stainless-steel column. To make it, he programmed 25,000 moves for a robot arm about 4.9 by 6.1 meters with a 30 cm diamond-encrusted cutting tool.
Public talks and recognition: Ferguson has spoken about the link between math and art, including an invited address in 2014 titled “Mathematics in Stone and Bronze” at a major math meeting. His work in algorithms has earned him notable recognition as one of the top algorithms of the century.
Personal notes: In 1987 he ran 50 miles in 16 hours and, at one time, sold juggling balls by mail.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:02 (CET).