BSHM Christmas Meeting

Christmas meeting

BSHM Christmas Meeting

Saturday 3 December 2016 - 10.00 to 17.00
Birmingham and Midlands Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS

A ‘History of Mathematics’ Day

An eclectic mix of interesting historical mathematical issues

1000   Registration downstairs in the John Lee Theatre and Coffee upstairs in the BMI Coffee lounge.

1030   Introduction and welcome by Philip Beeley, BSHM President

1035   ‘Napier’s Chessboard Abacus’  by Steve Russ.  Dr Steve Russ is an Associate Fellow at the University of Warwick and a past president of BSHM. He has published a major volume, The Mathematical Works of Bernard Bolzano, and co-authored numerous research papers on Empirical Modelling.

1115  James Clerk Maxwell and the inverse square law of  electrostatics  by Isobel Falconer.   Dr Isobel Falconer is Reader in History of Mathematics, University of St Andrews and is the author of many research publications and articles

1155  ‘Exhaustion’  by Bob Burn.    Dr Bob Burn is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter.  His main research interests are Mathematics and Teacher Education.

1235 -1345 Lunch

1345   Two short BSHM members’ talks

a)    ‘Mathematics in Birmingham in the 1960s’  by Anne Watts

b)   ‘Statistical Beginnings for Agricultural Research at Rothamsted Experimental Station' ’by Dorothy Leddy

1425    Truth or Hegelian  obfuscation?  Lakatos revisited’    by Tony Gardiner.    Dr Tony Gardiner taught at the University of Birmingham from 1974 to 2012.  He has been involved at the forefront of mathematics education for over 40 years and has written numerous mathematical books for young people.  In April this year he was the recipient of the Texas A&M University award for Excellence in Mathematics Education.

1505   ‘Mathematics - The Winton Gallery’’ by Jessica Bradford.  Jessica Bradford is the Interpretation Manager of the Science Museum Group. The Winton Gallery opens in December 2016 and was designed by Zaha Hadid.

1545  Tea

1600   ‘Leibniz on Financial and Insurance Mathematics’ by Eberhard Knobloch. Prof. Dr. Eberhard Knobloch, Berlin University of Technology / Berlin Brandenburg (former Prussian) Academy of Sciences and Humanities, is a distinguished historian of Science and Mathematics. He is a past President of the both the International Academy of the History of Science and the European Society for the History of Science.

1700   Expected finish for the day

Organiser: Richard Simpson, BSHM bshm@lagonda.org.uk

Fee £25 for BSHM/ BMI members (£30 for non-members) and £10 for Students: this includes coffee/tea and a good standard buffet-style lunch. The Student concession is intended for young people on Higher Education courses. On-Line booking via Eventbrite is avilable at the link below.