Don Zagier, a professor at the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, will give the second lecture in the series of seminars on the History of Science organized by The Interdisciplinary Laboratory (ILAS).

From Isolation Emerges a Mathematics Genius

It is well known that Japan was forcibly isolated from the rest of the world from the beginning of the 17th century to the mid-19th century. What few people know, however, is that during that period of time, in spite of, or perhaps because of this, the country of the Rising Sun developed its own form of mathematics with particular features as well as striking similarities to what was happening in the rest of the world.

Molti sapranno che il Giappone, dall’inizio del 17° secolo a metà del 19° si è forzatamente isolato dal resto del mondo. Quello che però non molti sanno è che in quel periodo di tempo, nonostante o forse grazie a questo, il Paese del Sol Levante ha sviluppato una matematica tutta sua, con aspetti peculiari ma anche analogie sorprendenti con quanto accadeva nel resto del mondo.

http://www.sissa.it/news/isolation-emerges-genius

The seminar is public, free of charge and will be held in English.

Info: Laboratorio Interdisciplinare - SISSA
Via Bonomea, 265 - 34136 TRIESTE
Mila Bottegal: tel. +39 040 3787549; e-mail: mila.bottegal@sissa.it
Claudia Parma: tel. +39 040 3787401; e-mail: claudia.parma@sissa.it