Can mathematics be spiritual?

What does the pursuit of math have in common with the pursuit of faith?

Thu 23 May, 12pm-1.15pm

City Bible Forum
13-15 Bridge Street, Sydney

Event fee includes lunch and drinks

$15.00

Why do people sometimes talk about math in reverent, almost spiritual terms, even if they aren't religiously inclined? What does math offer that causes some people to respond in that way? Professor Francis Su will unpack what the pursuit of math might have in common with the pursuit of faith, and why it matters for everyone, even if you aren't pursuing one or the other.

Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a former president of the Mathematical Association of America. In 2013, he received the Haimo Award, a nationwide teaching prize in the United States for college math faculty, and in 2018 he won the Halmos-Ford writing award. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and the New York Times. His book Mathematics for Human Flourishing (2020), winner of the 2021 Euler Book Prize, has been translated into 8 languages. It offers an inclusive vision of what math is, who it's for, and why anyone should learn it.

Please contact Martin Chung for further information.


Agenda
12:00-12:30	Join us for lunch
12:30-13:00	'Can mathematics be spiritual?' by Francis Su
13:00-13:15	Q&A
13:15-13:45	Extra Q&A for anyone interested in exploring Mathematics for Human Flourishing

With

Francis Su

Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, and former president of the Mathematical Association of America. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. His research is in topological and geometric combinatorics and applications to the sciences, including game theory, voting theory, and the mathematics of fair decisions.