Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures

The supreme task of the physicist, Einstein believed, was to understand the 'miraculous' underlying order of the universe, in terms of the most basic laws of nature, written in mathematical language. Most physicists believe that it's best to seek these laws by trying to understand surprising new experimental findings. Einstein and his peer Paul Dirac disagreed and controversially argued that new laws are best sought by developing the underlying mathematics.

Graham will describe how this mathematical approach has led to insights into both fundamental physics and advanced mathematics, which appear to be inextricably intertwined. Some physicists and mathematicians believe they are working towards a giant mathematical structure that encompasses all the fundamental laws of nature. But might this be an illusion? Might mathematics be leading physics astray?

Graham Farmelo is a Fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge and the author of 'The Strangest Man,' a biography of Paul Dirac.

5.00pm-6.00pm
Mathematical Institute
Oxford

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Or watch live:

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https://livestream.com/oxuni/farmelo

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.

Knots are a familiar part of everyday life, for example tying your tie or doing up your shoe laces. They play a role in numerous physical and biological phenomena, such as the untangling of DNA when it replicates. However, knot theory is also a well-developed branch of pure mathematics.

In his talk, Marc will give an introduction to this theory and will place it in the context of the modern field of topology. This is the branch of mathematics where you are allowed to stretch and deform objects, but not tear them. He will explain how topological techniques can be used to prove some surprising facts about knots. He will also give some problems about knots that mathematicians haven't yet been able to solve.

Marc Lackenby is a Professor of Mathematics in Oxford and a Fellow of St Catherine's College.

5.00pm-6.00pm, Mathematical Institute, Oxford

Please email @email to register.

Watch live:

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https://livestream.com/oxuni/lackenby

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.

Former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and current Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is considered by many to be a footballing genius. He has revolutionised the tactical approach to football and that revolution has come about through his careful study of the geometry of the game. But can abstract mathematics really help a team improve its performance?

David Sumpter thinks it can. Unlike the simple statistics applied to (lesser) sports, football is best understood through the patterns the players create together on the field. From the geometry of shooting, through the graph theory of passing, to the tessellations created by players as they find space to move in to, all of these patterns can be captured by mathematical models. As a result, football clubs are increasingly turning to mathematicians. 

David Sumpter is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. His scientific research covers everything from the inner workings of fish schools and ant colonies, the analysis of the passing networks of football teams and segregation in society.

5.00pm-6.00pm, Mathematical Institute, Oxford

Please email @email to register

Watch live:
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https://livestream.com/oxuni/sumpter

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.

Why should anyone care about primes? Well, prime numbers are important, not just in pure mathematics, but also in the real world. Various different, difficult problems in science lead to seemingly very simple questions about prime numbers. Unfortunately, these seemingly simple problems have stumped mathematicians for thousands of years, and are now some of the most notorious open problems in mathematics!

Oxford Research Professor James Maynard is one of the brightest young stars in world mathematics at the moment, having made dramatic advances in analytic number theory in recent years. 

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The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.

Far from taking us down the road of unpredictability and chaos, randomness has the power to help us solve a fascinating range of problems. Join Julia Wolf on a mathematical journey from penalty shoot-outs to internet security and patterns in the primes. 

Julia Wolf is University Lecturer in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Cambridge.

5-6pm
Mathematical Institute
Oxford

Please email @email to register.

Watch live:
https://www.facebook.com/OxfordMathematics
https://livestream.com/oxuni/wolf

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.