Project Summary

How often do prime numbers occur within a list of integers? Is there any pattern? Exploring these questions, a color system was developed to visualize the spaces in between prime numbers and turn this visual pattern into an engaging aesthetic artwork.

Several Pratt students study a 48" x 96" print of one prime number study.

Developing a Color System

Looking at a matrix of integers in which the prime numbers are highlighted, the gap in between any two primes forms a block of space. Each block is of a different interval, and this variety of intervals is precisely what was being visualized. To best show the different frequencies of primes, a color coding system was devised.

As the intervals get larger, the hue of the color transitions from blue to purple to red to green. Dark, muted colors are used for intervals that are most common, while bright, saturated colors are used for the least frequent intervals.

Frequency of Primes Visualization 1

Visualization of the 550 primes within integers 1 - 4000.

Visualization shown 3-dimensionally in white with shadows.