Marcus du Sautoy on How Mathematics Shapes Creativity

Mathematicians and artists can sometimes seem to sit at opposite ends of the intellectual spectrum. But could it be that maths often plays a crucial role in the creation of art, music, literature and more?

Whether we are searching for meaning in an abstract painting or deciphering poetry, there are mathematical blueprints everywhere: prime numbers, symmetry, fractals and the weirder worlds of Hamiltonian cycles and hyperbolic geometry.

On May 6 award-winning mathematician and Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy will explore how maths and creativity are interlinked. Drawing from his new book Blueprints, he will discuss how we can see the influence of maths everywhere in art and culture: from the earliest stone circles to the modernist architecture of Le Corbusier; from Bach’s circular compositions to Radiohead’s disruptive soundscapes; and from Shakespeare’s hidden numerical clues to the Dada artists who embraced randomness.

Join us live at Kings Place in London and ask your questions in the audience Q&A.