SMRI 'National Science Week' Public Lecture:

'Zeros'

Professor Andrej Bauer (University of Ljubljana)

Location:

University of Sydney, Camperdown Campus
Susan Wakil Health Building (D18), Lecture Theatre 321

Date and Time:

Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Lecture: 5:30-6:30pm / Canapes & Drinks: 6:30-7:30pm AEST

Abstract:

Have you ever wondered what makes mathematicians excited about seemingly dreary tasks, such as solving equations? In the old days, mathematicians would compete in equation solving, with their reputation, money, and jobs at stake. More than once, they invented new kinds of numbers just so they could solve more equations. This intense passion and dedication suggests an unseen, hidden beauty that compels mathematicians to invest their lives in the pursuit of solutions.

Using modern computers, we will uncover and visualize this beauty, revealing the rich and intricate structure of equation solving for everyone to see. Join us and partake in the excitement of mathematical discovery.

About the speaker:

Andrej Bauer is a professor of computational mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In 1994, he received his Sc.B. in Mathematics from Ljubljana, and in 2000, his PhD in Pure and Applied Logic from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2012, he was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he contributed to the development of homotopy type theory. In 2022, he received the American Mathematical Society Levi L. Conant Prize for an outstanding expository paper “Five Stages of Accepting Constructive Mathematics” published in the Bulletin of the AMS.

Bauer’s work spans foundations of mathematics, constructive and computable mathematics, type theory, homotopy type theory, and mathematical principles of programming languages. He is a co-author of the book “Homotopy Type Theory: Univalent Foundations of Mathematics” and the initiator of the HoTT library, an extensive formalization of homotopy type theory in the Coq proof assistant. He is also known for his seminal work on programming with algebraic effects and handlers.

Bauer’s interests outside mathematics include computer-generated art and aikido, in which he holds a master's degree.

*please note that this event will be subject to recordings by a photographer and a videographer