Mathematician Etienne Ghys Explores Typography's Evolution in New Publication

Mathematician Etienne Ghys has released a book titled 'La Petite Histoire des lettres,' examining five centuries of typographic development. Published by Odile Jacob, the work investigates the interplay between art, mathematics, and algorithms in letterforms. Ghys, a geometry specialist and emeritus research director at CNRS who serves as perpetual secretary of the Académie des Sciences, argues that letters function as both scientific and aesthetic objects. He traces typographic history from Gutenberg's movable type, which mimicked scribal handwriting to mass-produce affordable Bibles, through Renaissance figures like Leonardo da Vinci, who geometrically analyzed letters in Luca Pacioli's 'La Divine Proportion.' The evolution includes Claude Garamond's Greek cursive and Roman character designs, which inspired many fonts bearing his name, and later standardized efforts such as the Romain du Roi, commissioned by Colbert for King Louis XIV. Ghys notes that typefaces carry political and cultural significance, exemplified by France's Marianne font, created in 2020 for exclusive state use. He emphasizes how design elements, like serifs, affect reading speed and depth, and discusses contemporary innovations such as inclusive writing systems. The book invites readers to reconsider alphabets as geometric entities shaped by historical and intellectual currents.