On Wednesday 4 June, Professor Robin Wilson gave the annual London Mathematical Society/Gresham College Lecture, ‘Sum Stories: Equations and their Origins’, at Gresham College in London. The lecture was well attended, selling out in person. It explored questions such as ‘How long is the coastline of Britain?’ and ‘What is a rhombicuboctahedron?’. These and other intriguing questions were addressed as the lecture covered renowned mathematical equations and their history, spanning 4,000 years from early geometry to fractal art.
At the end of the lecture, Robin donated to the LMS a book from his collection, 'Mathematical Snack Bar. A Collection of Notes and Results' by Norman Alliston. The book was previously owned by G. H. Hardy and contains his signature. It will be added to the LMS collection, and we are grateful to Robin for his gift.
You can watch Robin’s lecture online at https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/sum-stories-equations-and-their-origins. More information about the LMS/Gresham College Lecture can be found at https://www.lms.ac.uk/events/lectures/gresham-lectures.