Name: Blueprints: How mathematics shapes creativity
Start: 2026-03-28T11:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-28T12:00:00+00:00
Location: Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Seminar Room 1

Blueprints: How mathematics shapes creativity

In this talk, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy reveals a deep and surprising connection between art and maths, spanning history and geography.
About this Event

We often see art and mathematics as opposites – emotion versus logic – but mathematician Marcus du Sautoy will reveal a deep and surprising connection between them in this talk. He will explore how mathematical ideas such as symmetry, prime numbers and the golden ratio shape human creativity: from the earliest stone circles to the modernist architecture of Le Corbusier; from Bach’s circular compositions to Radiohead’s disruptive soundscapes; and from Shakespeare’s hidden numerical clues to the Dada artists who embraced randomness. Instead of mathematics and the arts being polar opposites, Marcus will explore how a complementary relationship exists between them that spans vast historical and geographical landscapes.