HCMC – ‘Encounter’ Lecture with Professor Ngo Bao Chau

Wed 21 Aug 2013, 6 pm
Auditorium D
HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities

From the organizer:

Come to the inaugural ‘Encounter’ lecture with Professor Ngô Bảo Châu, renowned mathematician, 2010 Fields Medal winner and 2013 Simons Foundation recipient. Professor Ngô Bảo Châu will discuss the common ground between an artist’s and scientist’s work, addressing how he perceives artists as seeking rigor in their work in a fashion equal to scientists, especially mathematicians, who similarly look for ideas of beauty.

‘Encounter’ forms part of a larger interdisciplinary endeavor called ‘Conscious Realities’ (2013-2016), consisting of lectures, workshops and a residency program, focusing on the shared cultural histories of South East Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Africa, by inviting artists and creative intellectuals to engage the divergent reactions to these histories and the lessons to be learned in thinking laterally across creative communities.

Simultaneous translation will be provided (Vietnamese to English).

The lecture will be live-fed outside Auditorium D to accommodate extended audience.

Ngô Bảo Châu is a mathematician who is best known for his proof of the Fundamental Lemma, an intricate problem in number theory. He was awarded the Fields Medal in 2010, which is generally regarded as the highest distinction in mathematics. He teaches at the University of Chicago and also serves as the scientific director of the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics. He is an editor of “Inventiones Mathematicae”, one of the best mathematical journals.

In his spare time, Professor Châu is a blogger. In his blog ‘thichhoctoan’, he writes on mathematics and science, on philosophy and literature, and occasionally on politics and society. He wrote the children’s book “Ai and Ky in the land of invisible numbers” with a popular blogger with the curious name 5xu. He also serves as editor of the books series “The doors wide open” with writer Phan Viet.