On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, the students and faculty of Pierce – The American College of Greece had the amazing opportunity to meet the world world-renowned mathematician and academic, Dr. Athanasios Fokas.
In a crowd-packed Pierce Theater, Dr. Fokas spoke of the relationship between Mathematics, Neurosciences and Art. His presentation was titled: “Perception, Reverse Problems and the Essence of Mathematics” and raised many questions.
The speech focused on the way in which humans comprehend their environment, on how our brain processes external stimuli and how our perception of the world around us is the result of complex mathematical calculations. It also argued how art and its influencers are closer to the mathematical language than any other form of expression.
“Mathematics are important because – for reasons unknown – the basic laws of Nature are written in the mathematical language and, as a result, the only way to understand and comprehend these laws is to understand the language they are written in. In other words, mathematics”.
Dr. Athanasios Fokas is an academic and a Professor of Nonlinear Mathematical Science at Cambridge University.
He has been honored with numerous international awards and titles, among which the Naylor Award, presented by the London Mathematical Society. He is also the recipient of the Commander’s Medal at the Order of the Phoenix, presented by the President of the Hellenic Republic.
Upon concluding his speech, Dr. Fokas addressed the students, many of whom will soon be sitting for the Pan-Hellenic examinations, wished them the best of luck and advised them to shed all anxiety, a piece of advice he has given to his own children on several occasions.
