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1,000 Years of Mathematics: Henry Briggs

Fibonacci’s Fractional Flowers: Mathematics Patterns in Seeds and Petals

We live in a universe of patterns. Human mind and...

The Maths of Coins and Currencies

People have used money – and made counterfeits - for...

The Maths of Beauty and Symmetry

People have always found symmetry aesthetically pleasing and examples of it are seen in the earliest art. The Platonic solids have been known to humanity for millennia, some possibly even to Neolithic man, as can be seen in the carved stone balls found by archaeologists. This lecture will look at how we can understand symmetry using mathematics, and explore how the rules of symmetry can deepen our appreciation of beautiful works of art and design.

The Maths of Perspective in Art

The Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi, designer of the dome of Florence cathedral, is also known for developing the rules of linear perspective. In a famous experiment, viewers looked alternately from a vantage point at his perspective painting of the Florence Baptistery, and then the real building, to appreciate the realism made possible by the technique. This lecture explores the maths of perspective, including modern examples like televised sports where sponsors paint their logos so they look right on camera.