Public Lecture: Some Very Queer Mathematics
Speaker: Professor Benjamin Burton
Affiliation: The University of Queensland
Abstract
Alan Turing was a mathematician with a remarkable legacy, spanning computing, codebreaking, artificial intelligence, and mathematical logic - much of which was done before the first programmable computer. This talk will explore Turing’s life and some of his most important and surprising results that still influence mathematics and computing today. It will be aimed at a mathematically curious audience with no need for any specialist background.
Biography
Benjamin Burton (he/him) is a Professor of Mathematics at The University of Queensland, where he teaches supercomputers how to untangle knots. His academic career spans geometry, cryptography, computer science and finance, and he has just finished serving as President of the International Olympiad in Informatics. Benjamin is a prominent advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion in STEM, and an award-winning and engaging speaker who makes deep mathematics accessible and enjoyable to a wide range of audiences.
About LGBTQIA+ STEM Celebration at The University of Queensland: On the 75th Anniversary of the Turing Test
October marks the 75th anniversary of the seminal paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” by Alan Turing. In this paper Turing introduced the “imitation game,” a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to that of a human. Alan Turing is also an enduring icon in the LGBTQIA+ STEM community, given both his extraordinary contributions and his tragic personal story.
In honour of LGBTQIA+ icon Alan Turing and the 75th anniversary of the Turing Test, this event celebrates LGBTQIA+ researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at The University of Queensland.
The event will be catered and will conclude with a public lecture by Professor Benjamin Burton.
The event aims to increase visibility of LGBTQIA+ STEM researchers at UQ and celebrate both UQ’s research excellence and commitment to diversity.
Missed the lecture?
Watch it on YouTube (59:59):
Venue
Room: 348