2005 Bowen Lectures
The 2005 Bowen Lectures will be delivered by John Horton Conway on November 1, 2, and 3.
Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley, presents
The 2005 Bowen Lectures
John Horton Conway
Professor of Mathematics
Princeton University
Understanding the Symmetries of Things
Lecture I: Some Symmetrical Shapes
Tuesday, November 1
145 Dwinelle Hall - 5:00pm-6:00pm
I will talk about the notion of symmetry, and informally discuss the
symmetries of some familiar objects, such as tables, chairs, and tennis
balls. However, the lecture will largely be about polyhedra; in
particular the Platonic, Archimedean, and Catalan polyhedra. At the end
of it, I'll talk about the four fundamental features by which
symmetries of such things are classified.
Reception in 1015 Evans at 6:15 pm after Tuesday's lecture.
Lecture II: Symmetry in Surfaces
Wednesday, November 2
145 Dwinelle Hall - 5:00pm-6:00pm
I'll state the "Magic Theorem" that relates the number of symmetries of
an object to the costs of its fundamental features, and deduce the
enumerations of possible types of symmetry for finite objects and
repeating patterns. Then I'll deduce the Magic Theorem from the notion
of "orbifold."
Lecture III: Symmetry in Space
Thursday, November 3
2050 Valley Life Sciences - 5:00pm-6:00pm
This will be about the symmetries of crystals, especially those of the
35 "prime" types that don't fix any family of parallel lines. I'll also
talk about the 10 different kinds of "flat universe."