Born on June 10, 1952 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Graduated 1977 in theorethical mathematics from the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade, where obtained MA in 1981 and Ph.D. degree in 1984, with the thesis Theory of Simple and Multiple Antisymmetry in E2 and E2\{O}. Pursued advanced scientific program in colored symmetry at the University of Kishinev, USSR in 1985 and 1988; Fulbright Scholar, USA, 1992 (canceled by UN sanctions). The professor of geometry at the University of Nish and the associate of the Mathematical Institute, Belgrade. The author of the monograph "Theory of Symmetry and Ornament". Published over 40 scientific papers in the international journals: Acta Crystallographica, Zeitscrift für Kristallographie, Kristallografiya (Moscow), Symmetry: Culture and Science, Publications de l'Institute Mathematique (Belgrade)...
As a mathematician, I am not only interested in geometry, group theory, mathematical crystallography, the theory of symmetry, antisymmetry, colored symmetry, combinatorial geometry and knot theory, but also in the visual geometry: the symmetry analysis of visual arts and ornamental design. The (pre)history of ornamental art and real-world pattern analysis with applications to anthropology, the psychology of visual perception and the history of mathematics, are my other favorite subjects. The most of such interests coincide with the research program and activities of the ISIS-Symmetry (The International Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry), trying to make a bridge between science and art, where I am the member of Advisory Board.
The concept of visual geometry I presented in the three monographs, in some of my papers, at the conferences of ISIS-Symmetry (Budapest, Hungary, 1989; Hiroshima, Japan, 1992; Washington DC, USA, 1995), and in the series of lectures at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, Dept. Math.), Indiana University (Bloomington, Dept. Anthropology), Technische Universität (Vienna, Austria, Dept. Geometry), Symmetry and Visual Perception at Faculty of Philosophy (Belgrade, Dept. Experimental Psychology), Symmetry and Visual Arts at the National Museum (Belgrade), and at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Belgrade). The research Modularity in Art, announced at the conference Mathematics and Art (Suzdal', Russia, 1996) is supported by the Research Support Scheme of the OSI/HESP, grant No. 85/1997, and this presentation is a survey of the first results obtained.
Trying to materialize the symmetry approach to ornamental design, I introduced "SpaceTiles", "KnotTiles", and "OpTiles", presented at the exhibitions: 2^ Quadrienale Internazionale "Ceramica nell arredo urbano", Faenza (Italy), 1989; Symmetry of Structure, Interdisciplinary Symmetry Symposia 1, National Gallery, Budapest (Hungary), 1989; XII European Crystallographic Meeting, Moscow (USSR), 1989; International Industrial Design and Technological Innovation Competition CEVISAMA, Valencia (Spain), 1987, 1994; Symmetry: Natural and Artificial, Interdisciplinary Symmetry Symposia 3, Washington DC (USA), 1995. One of them, "Two-Colored Ornamental Tilings" earned an award at international design competition CEVISAMA'87 in Valencia (Spain).
If you are interested for the different aspects of visual mathematics: symmetry principles, theory of mazes, knot projections (for which I developed a computer program), geometry of knots and links, Celtic art, ornamental design, key-patterns, Roman mazes and labyrinths, paleolithic ornaments, or op-art puzzles, please write me to the address: jablans@mi.sanu.ac.yu. Also, maybe we could share the joint hobbies: painting, wind-surfing, or collecting mushrooms.
Address: The Mathematical Institute, 11001 Belgrade, Knez Mihailova 35, P.O.Box 367, Serbia&Montenegro (Yugoslavia)
E-mail: jablans@mi.sanu.ac.yu; Tel.: +381 11 751-734; Fax: +381 11 186-105.