June 23, 2008
John Horton Conway revels in the mathematical significance of symmetry in everyday life, so much so that he has written a book about it. Coauthored by Chaim Goodman-Strauss and Heidi Burgiel, The Symmetries of Things provides tools for describing and classifying symmetries in geometric environments. Conway will bring the book to life for his Pi Mu Epsilon J. Sutherland Frame Lecture, “The Symmetries of Things,” at this year’s MathFest.
Conway will first discuss notation he formulated that applies to the 17 possible distinct crystallographic plane groups. The second part will describe those groups’ three-dimensional analogs, which were recently re-enumerated by a new method formulated by a group of mathematicians that included Conway. Conway’s presentation will include visual examples and excerpts from the book.
Conway is currently a professor of mathematics at Princeton University. He has written numerous books and made contributions to many areas of mathematics, most notably game theory, geometry, and group theory. Conway has given the MAA Earle Raymond Hedrick lectures, been honored as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and has an Erdős number of one.
Pi Mu Epsilon J. Sutherland Frame Lecture
The Symmetries of Things.
Friday, August 1, 8 p.m. – 8:50 p.m.
Register for MathFest at http://www.maa.org/mathfest.
Previous MathFest Highlights:
Erik Demaine Presents a World of Mathematical Wizardry and Wonder
Sudoku, Origami, Symmetry, and Elvis Highlight MathFest in Madison
It’s All Fun and Games When Taalman Talks Sudoku at MathFest