Rankin-Sneddon Lecture 2023: The Social Machine of Mathematics

Professor Ursula Martin CBE FREng FRSE (University of Edinburgh / University of Oxford)

Tuesday 18th April, 2023 16:00-17:00 Lecture Theatre 116

Abstract

The School of Mathematics and Statistics is delighted to invite you to its Rankin-Sneddon Lecture, to be given by Professor Ursula Martin CBE FREng FRSE (University of Edinburgh / University of Oxford) on Tuesday 18th April 2023, 16:00 - 17:00 BST with a wine reception to follow at 17:00.

The lecture, entitled The Social Machine of Mathematics will take us through an inquisitive tale challenging our perception of mathematics. It will be held in-person (with an online option) in Lecture Theatre 116 of the Mathematics and Statistics Building.

To attend in-person, please register in advance at https://the-rankin-sneddon-lecture-2023.eventbrite.co.uk  
To attend online, please register in advance at https://the-rankin-sneddon-lecture-2023-online.eventbrite.co.uk 

About the speaker

Professor Ursula Martin CBE FREng FRSE is Professor Emerita of Computer Science at the University of Edinburgh, and an Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College Oxford. She has worked in combinatorics, group theory, and the application of logical methods in computer science, particularly computer proof, and now investigates the culture and context of mathematics, and its impact on the practice of mathematics. She is the author of a popular book on the mathematics of Ada Lovelace.

Abstract

How does mathematics come about? In this talk I’ll look at what philosophers, social scientists and historians can tell us about what we are doing when we do mathematics, including recent work on explanation in mathematics, and on how mathematics has impact. I’ll also highlight new approaches to collaborative mathematics, computer supported formal proof, and AI-assisted proof, which challenge our understanding of what a proof might be.

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