Starting from scratch and aiming at the interested layperson, Professor MacHale will develop the basic properties of the primes and explain their fundamental role in mathematics, from problems in number theory to their use in the construction and cracking of codes and cryptograms. He will also examine several unsolved prize problems which are easy to state but tough nuts to crack, e.g. Goldbach’s Conjecture (1760) - Is every even number greater than 2, the sum of two prime numbers? This looks easy, but nobody has solved it!

Des MacHale is Associate Professor of Mathematics at UCC where he has taught for nearly forty years. He has a passionate interest in problems and puzzles of all kinds and is the author of many books of puzzles.  He loves Number Theory and has published several research papers on primes and related topics.

The lecture will be delivered on Wednesday, January 12th 2011 at 8pm in Boole II Lecture Theatre. The lecture series is organised by Professor William Reville, Public Awareness of Science Officer, SEFS.

Full details of the lectures can be consulted by visiting website http://understandingscience.ucc.ie/Lecture2011.pdf

Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend.

Picture: Professor Des MacHale

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