World famous mathematician to explore "Truth and Beauty in Mathematics"

April 20, 2007 -- Sir Michael Atiyah, one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century, will be at Washington University on Friday, May 11, to deliver a talk on "Beauty and Truth in Mathematics." The lecture, appropriate for a general audience, will be held at 5 p.m. in Crow Hall Room 201, and is free and open to the public.

According to Guido Weiss, Ph.D., Elinor Anheuser Professor of Mathematics in Arts & Sciences, the Abel Prize-winning professor will provide a rare treat for the community.

"Michael Atiyah is one of the most important mathematicians working today and we are very fortunate that he has included St. Louis in an upcoming Midwest visit," Weiss said.

Weiss says that among Atiyah's gifts is the ability to explore the philosophical dimensions of mathematics. "His talk will explain the beauty inherent in mathematics and why it is important, as well as examining the relation of beauty to truth."

Atiyah's career spans many decades and covers a broad range within the field. He taught at Oxford and Cambridge, and now is associated with the University of Edinburgh. His contributions are reflected in the numerous major awards he has been given, including the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize, called the Abel Prize, awarded in 2004 with his colleague Isaac Singer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their discovery and proof of the index theorem made a significant impact throughout the many branches of mathematics -- including topology, geometry and analysis -- and provided new links between mathematics and theoretical physics. He has also developed a branch of algebraic geometry called K theory.

Atiyah was awarded the Fields Medal in 1966, was knighted in 1983, and received the Order of Merit in 1992.

For more information on this talk or directions to Crow Hall, please call 314-935-6760.