Mathematical Conversations

I'll discuss our attempts to model problems of bio molecular assembly using simple geometric constructions. We contrast how nature makes polyhedra with classical constructions. The issue that really bothers me is this: biomolecular codes are remarkably efficient prescriptions to synthesize geometric machines. They are certainly "elegant" constructions in any reasonable sense of the term. But our mathematical attempts to model this process strike me as ugly (brute force computation mainly). The issue of (mathematical) aesthetics isn't typically seen as important when considering "messy" problems in biology. I think it's a question worth discussing.