CNRS-Imperial UMI Workshop and Public Lecture showcases exciting mathematics

Professor Kevin Buzzard gives his public lecture: The future of mathematics?

On the 30 and 31 May 2019 the Abraham de Moivre UMI celebrated the 80th anniversary of the CNRS.

The workshop brought together the scientific advisory board, visitors to the UMI and academic staff at Imperial College for a “festival of mathematics”.  Professor Richard Craster, Director of the UMI, opened the workshop with a welcome and introduction to the UMI.

Scientific talks

Scientific talks over two days were heard from a wide array of leading experts from the UK and France including:

• Professor Tom Coates (Imperial)
• Professor Jean-Stéphane Dhersin (CNRS)
• Professor Toby Gee (Imperial)
• Professor Sébastien Guenneau (CNRS, Institut Fresnel, Marseille)
• Professor Martin Hairer (Imperial)
• Professor Pascal Noble (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Toulouse)
• Professor Anne Gégout-Petit (Université de Lorraine)
• Professor Pierre Pansu (Université Paris Sud)
• Professor Ulrike Tillmann (University of Oxford)

The future of mathematics?

On the evening of 30^th May, a public lecture was organised with the intention of reaching out to wider communities. Over 200 people including general public, A-level school students, researchers and staff attended an inspirational and thought-provoking talk by Professor Kevin Buzzard on “The future of mathematics?” The talk included an introductory survey of the differences between the ways that humans and computers do mathematics, and how humans and computers are learning to work together. The question was raised about whether computers could replace humans in terms of proving theorems in mathematics. You can view the lecture again below.

Scientific advisory board meeting

The scientific advisory board meeting was chaired by Professor Pierre Degond. The board members discussed the short-term, mid-term and long-term strategies for the UMI. The current schemes run by the UMI such as the ICL–CNRS fellowships and the Postes Rouges were also discussed.

About the UMI

The Abraham de Moivre UMI is a joint CNRS and Imperial College initiative to promote the exchange of mathematical ideas and of staff between the UK and France. To engage with the UMI, please contact Professor Richard Craster.