Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Math Encounters:
"Infinitesimally Similar: The art and science of conformal mapping"
featuring Fields Medalist Akshay Venkatesh
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Every map of the world faces a problem: how do you flatten the globe without distorting it? Conformal maps offer an elegant solution — they preserve shape locally, so that, when you zoom in far enough, features on the map appear just as they do in reality. Developed by mathematicians in the nineteenth century, the notion of conformality has turned out to be far more than a cartographic curiosity; it helps us understand beautiful artwork and has found surprising scientific applications ranging from the study of electricity to the design of airplane wings. Join Fields Medalist Akshay Venkatesh for a journey through history, art, and science as he introduces the mathematics of conformal mapping.
Special introduction by Alex Kontorovich, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Rutgers University.
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:
"Infinitesimally Similar: The art and science of conformal mapping"
featuring Fields Medalist Akshay Venkatesh
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Every map of the world faces a problem: how do you flatten the globe without distorting it? Conformal maps offer an elegant solution — they preserve shape locally, so that, when you zoom in far enough, features on the map appear just as they do in reality. Developed by mathematicians in the nineteenth century, the notion of conformality has turned out to be far more than a cartographic curiosity; it helps us understand beautiful artwork and has found surprising scientific applications ranging from the study of electricity to the design of airplane wings. Join Fields Medalist Akshay Venkatesh for a journey through history, art, and science as he introduces the mathematics of conformal mapping.
Special introduction by Alex Kontorovich, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Rutgers University.
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.
