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I've recently started to create geometric drawings (axonometry) of mathematical functions, the same ones I usually tackle with code.

One could say it does not make sense to painstakingly draw what code could create quickly. But for me the interesting thing is to grasp these functions on a different, more intuitive level - compared to mentally processing mathematical formulae or casting it into computer code. After literally decades of dealing with mathematical expressions and code I have rediscovered descriptive geometry, as sort of a "third language" (in addition to math or code) to say the same things. I am also fascinated by the little math puzzles that pop up when I create these drawings, and which require a completely different approach than calculations or programming.

I am usually drawing them at least three times, until I am somewhat satisfied. The journey is the reward anyway :-)

Here is the work-in-progress photo of my taming two favorite functions of mine - often already used in my creative coding art. I called them "Reality and Imagination" as these are two "towers" or "trumpets" that represent real and imaginary part of the complex function 1/z. Grand words, but you also describe them as: Stack circular rings upon each, ring diameter decreasing reciprocally with height, align along the circumference. Then flip over, and then rotate by 90 degrees.

Circles are just ellipses, seems to be easy, but the 2D projections overlap greatly with the 3D axonometric image as I am currently using "small" A4 watercolor paper. The real challenge will be to convey the spirit of this trumpet-like surface without of course create all the giant circles.... as moving closer to the origin of the vertical axis, the radii of the circles get larger and larger, and finally the straight axis is the "circle with infinite radius".

It's online. The book was carefully and wonderfully recreated online by hand. You can find it here. The entire book is this easy.

A mathematician went insane and believed that he was the differentiation operator. His friends had him placed in a mental hospital until he got better. All day he would go around frightening the other patients by staring at them and saying “I differentiate you!”

One day he met a new patient; and true to form he stared at him and said “I differentiate you!”, but for once, his victim’s expression didn’t change.

Surprised, the mathematician marshalled his energies, stared fiercely at the new patient and said loudly “I differentiate you!”, but still the other man had no reaction. Finally, in frustration, the mathematician screamed out “I DIFFERENTIATE YOU!”

The new patient calmly looked up and said, “You can differentiate me all you like: I’m e to the x.”

I’m sorry, I needed some Calculus to clear my head of all this Chemistry.

Sorry, I found a really funny (at least to me) math joke. You can judge all you want, but I’ll still love Calculus.

There’s a big calculus party, and all the functions are invited. ln(x) is talking to some trig functions, when he sees his friend e^x sulking in a corner. 

Leo: e^x

Libra: e^x

Cancer: e^x

Virgo: e^x

Aries: e^x

Sagittarius: e^x

Aquarius: e^x

Gemini: e^x

Scorpio: e^x

Taurus: e^x

Capricorn: e^x