Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Math Encounters: "142,857: A Magical Number Everyone Should Know"
Featuring Dr. Manjul Bhargava
Wednesday March 4, 2026
Don’t miss the first Math Encounters in MoMath’s spectacular new space as Dr. Manjul Bhargava returns to explore the surprising magic hidden inside the number 142,857. This remarkable number exhibits a host of astonishing properties — some familiar, others delightfully unexpected — and sits at the crossroads of number theory, magic, and illusion. Professor Bhargava will reveal why this number is so special, how to create others like it, and what it means to “classify” such magical numbers. Along the way, we’ll be led to the very frontier of mathematical knowledge, where these curiosities connect to one of the greatest mathematical mysteries of our time: the Riemann Hypothesis.
Special introductions by Marilyn Simons, co-founder, Simon’s Foundation (4:00 pm) and Anoop Prasad, Managing Director at D. E. Shaw (7:00 pm).
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
Math Encounters: "142,857: A Magical Number Everyone Should Know"
Featuring Dr. Manjul Bhargava
Wednesday March 4, 2026
Don’t miss the first Math Encounters in MoMath’s spectacular new space as Dr. Manjul Bhargava returns to explore the surprising magic hidden inside the number 142,857. This remarkable number exhibits a host of astonishing properties — some familiar, others delightfully unexpected — and sits at the crossroads of number theory, magic, and illusion. Professor Bhargava will reveal why this number is so special, how to create others like it, and what it means to “classify” such magical numbers. Along the way, we’ll be led to the very frontier of mathematical knowledge, where these curiosities connect to one of the greatest mathematical mysteries of our time: the Riemann Hypothesis.
Special introductions by Marilyn Simons, co-founder, Simon’s Foundation (4:00 pm) and Anoop Prasad, Managing Director at D. E. Shaw (7:00 pm).
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
