Nicole, this year's Maths Society president, gave a superb talk on the history of different bases and implications in number theory.
She engaged with the audience (often by testing their mental maths skills, with only a few embarrassing consequences, and in one case leading to Mr Winston getting a round of applause). She showcased some interesting Babylonian mathematics at the board all from memory. She also delighted us with fascinating anecdotes on topics from Swedish artillery to negative bases, all culminating in a very moving conclusion about the (often neglected) importance of cultural diversity to mathematics.
Thank you Nicole for an uplifting and very entertaining talk.
She engaged with the audience (often by testing their mental maths skills, with only a few embarrassing consequences, and in one case leading to Mr Winston getting a round of applause). She showcased some interesting Babylonian mathematics at the board all from memory. She also delighted us with fascinating anecdotes on topics from Swedish artillery to negative bases, all culminating in a very moving conclusion about the (often neglected) importance of cultural diversity to mathematics.
Thank you Nicole for an uplifting and very entertaining talk.