ICTS

Mathematics pervades all the sciences, but it also lies at the heart of a number of fields in the humanities. Two such important subjects which go back to ancient times are linguistics and music. In fact, many of the modern mathematical tools used in probability and combinatorics, and tools applied in varied technologies, such as those on NASA space missions, originate in problems encountered by linguists and musicians thousands of years ago. A look at some of these ancient, poetic problems - and their remarkable solutions through the ages - reveals much about the nature of human thought and the origins of mathematics.

This lecture is part of Science at ICTS