The Mathematics of Bell Ringing

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This lecture will look at change ringing, which is ringing a series of tuned bells (as you might find in the bell tower of a church) in a particular sequence, and this has exciting mathematical properties. 

We will also ask: why are bells bell-shaped? What properties of this shape create the sound of a bell, and by what amount should we scale the size of a bell to produce changes in pitch?

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This event was on Tue, 05 Jan 2021

Sarah Hart Professor of Geometry

Professor Sarah Hart

Professor of Geometry

Sarah Hart was the first woman Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and Acting Provost between March and October 2025. She is also Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London where she served as the Head of Mathematics and Statistics.

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