image: Illustration Honorable Mention goes to this illustration of Exploring Complex Functions using Domain Coloring. Complex functions are of fundamental importance in many areas of mathematics, physics and engineering. The picture shows the visualization of a complex function using a specifically designed color scheme. Following a technique called 'domain coloring,' the color scheme assigns a certain color to every complex number, inducing a coloring of the function domain according to its values at every point. The picture allows to easily explore properties of the function, for instance, critical values such as zeros (black spots) or singularities (white spots). Contour lines indicate how the function deforms the complex plane. This modern visualization technique gives unprecedented insight into complex functions. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the Feb. 03, 2012, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper was titled, “2011 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge.” view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Konrad Polthier and Konstantin Poelke, Free University of Berlin