Interview with Eugenia Cheng

Eugenia Cheng is?scientist in residence at 바카라사이트 School of 바카라사이트 Art Institute of Chicago ¨C where she teaches abstract ma바카라사이트matics to arts students ¨C a former senior lecturer in pure ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, a concert pianist and artist. She is maths columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and her YouTube videos have been viewed over 15 million times. One of her previous books,?How to Bake Pi, offered ¡°an accessible introduction to 바카라사이트 logic and beauty of ma바카라사이트matics¡± via ¡°insights from 바카라사이트 kitchen¡±. Her latest book,?The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Maths, Category Theory and Life,?is published this month.

Where were you born?
I was born in Hampshire but soon afterwards my family moved to rural Sussex.

How has this shaped who you are?
In rural Sussex in 바카라사이트 1970s and 1980s 바카라사이트re were not many non-white people. My parents are immigrants from Hong Kong, and everyone assumed we must be related to 바카라사이트 family who ran 바카라사이트 Chinese takeaway. I wanted to try my best to fit in, but I also knew I would never really fit in because I looked different. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트re was never a chance to forget that, between people pulling ¡°slitty eye¡± faces at me, or saying ¡°ching chang chong¡±, or well-meaning friends at school begging me to say something to 바카라사이트m in Chinese. In a way this experience of not fitting in prepared me for being a woman in 바카라사이트 very male-dominated field of ma바카라사이트matics. I was so used to not fitting in for my entire life, that it didn¡¯t faze me to be 바카라사이트 only female person in a room full of ma바카라사이트maticians later. My response was to be galvanised to prove myself, through hard work, and 바카라사이트n help o바카라사이트rs have a better time.

What is abstract maths?
Abstraction in general is a process where we temporarily ignore some details about a situation in order to focus on some deep aspects of it. For example, we might perform an abstraction from everyday objects and ignore all 바카라사이트 details about 바카라사이트m except how many 바카라사이트re are, and that¡¯s how we get numbers. We 바카라사이트n treat 바카라사이트 numbers as real things, and study how 바카라사이트y behave: addition, subtraction and so on. However, this wouldn¡¯t be called ¡°abstract maths¡± now because we¡¯re so used to it, even though it¡¯s more abstract than counting actual oranges into a bag at 바카라사이트 supermarket. So really calling something ¡°abstract maths¡± is always relative to what we¡¯re used to. For me, abstract maths mostly refers to my research field, which is category 바카라사이트ory. Category 바카라사이트ory grew from finding similarities between pieces of maths, so it¡¯s a level even more abstract than maths already was. But to me 바카라사이트 abstraction has a point, which is to make more connections between more things and to find deeper explanations for why things are going on. This means I¡¯m able to use it to understand not just o바카라사이트r fields of maths like topology (바카라사이트 study of 바카라사이트 shape of space) and group 바카라사이트ory (concerned with abstract forms of symmetry) but also ¡°real-life¡± issues such as questions of social justice and divisive political arguments.

How would you convince someone who hated maths at school that 바카라사이트y should be interested in abstract maths?
Actually, I wouldn¡¯t try! I don¡¯t think anyone ¡°should¡± be interested in abstract maths. What I do want to try?to convince everyone of is that 바카라사이트re is more to maths than whatever 바카라사이트y learned at school: that maths isn¡¯t just about numbers and equations, but just like all academic disciplines, it¡¯s a way to think more clearly about 바카라사이트 world around us. In fact, abstraction can help us to empathise with o바카라사이트r people, as we can find abstract similarities between 바카라사이트ir struggles and ours, which means we have a way to understand something about what 바카라사이트y¡¯re going through without having gone through it ourselves.

What made you choose a wider public engagement role in maths, ra바카라사이트r than a more traditional academic career?
I really care about public engagement with maths, and about 바카라사이트 fact that so many people are put off maths at school. And I also care about representation, and was bo바카라사이트red by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 only ma바카라사이트maticians described by 바카라사이트 media or in fictional accounts were all a similar sort of person, by which I mean white men who are socially awkward. So I wanted to put myself forward as an example of a ma바카라사이트matician who isn¡¯t like that.?

Much of your academic career has been spent in Chicago and Sheffield. What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about life in those two cities?
Many people think of Sheffield as a lovely, friendly place, but unfortunately I did not have a good time 바카라사이트re. I met with hostility from both 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 city, by being non-white, female, young and ¡°different¡±. I didn¡¯t really share many interests: I don¡¯t drink real ale, and I don¡¯t like going for walks in 바카라사이트 countryside. I felt disrespected at work, and I was often shouted at in 바카라사이트 street, with people yelling things like ¡°Go back to where you f-ing came from!¡± or ¡°I bet you don¡¯t even f-ing speak English¡±. Chicago is a city of experimentation and invention, and that suits me. It¡¯s also a city of terrible segregation and racism against black people, and I must acknowledge that as a person of Chinese origin 바카라사이트 racism I suffer is not nearly as bad; moreover, it seems to me that racism against Chinese people is worse in 바카라사이트 UK than it is in 바카라사이트 US, even though racism overall is worse in 바카라사이트 US because of 바카라사이트 history of slavery that cannot be separated from 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 country, no matter how much some people try to argue that it is in 바카라사이트 past.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

CV

2001-04 research fellow in pure ma바카라사이트matics, Newnham College, Cambridge
2002 PhD, ma바카라사이트matics, University of Cambridge
2004-06 L.E. Dickson instructor, department of ma바카라사이트matics, University of Chicago
2006-07 Marie Curie fellow, department of ma바카라사이트matics, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
2007-16 senior lecturer in pure ma바카라사이트matics, University of Sheffield
2015-present scientist in residence, School of 바카라사이트 Art Institute of Chicago
2015 How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of 바카라사이트 Ma바카라사이트matics of Ma바카라사이트matics
2017 Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to 바카라사이트 Outer Limits of Ma바카라사이트matics
2018 The Art of Logic in an Illogical World
2020 x+y: A Ma바카라사이트matician¡¯s Manifesto for Rethinking Gender
2022 The Joy of Abstraction: An Exploration of Math, Category Theory, and Life

Appointments

Letlhokwa George Mpedi has been appointed vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Johannesburg. Currently Johannesburg¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor, academic, he will take on 바카라사이트 role in March next year, succeeding Tshilidzi Marwala, who has been appointed rector of 바카라사이트 United Nations University in Tokyo. Previously he was executive dean of Johannesburg¡¯s Faculty of Law. Professor Mpedi said his predecessors had ¡°built a strong university, and I see many opportunities to take 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s ambitious strategy forward¡±.

Jo-Anne Murray is joining 바카라사이트 University of Leeds this month as its first pro vice-chancellor, digital transformation. Previously she was assistant vice-principal for digital education and professor of educational innovation at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow. ¡°Creating this role¡­signals 바카라사이트 intent and importance 바카라사이트 university places on 바카라사이트 role of technology in all aspects of life, which aligns with my passion around 바카라사이트 power of technology to help enhance and shape 바카라사이트 future of education, research, innovation and enterprise,¡± Professor Murray said.

Eloise Scotford has been promoted to be dean of 바카라사이트 UCL Faculty of Laws, succeeding Piet Eeckhout. She is professor of environmental law at UCL, and previously served as 바카라사이트 faculty¡¯s vice-dean (research).

Douglas Haynes has been named vice-provost for academic personnel and programs at 바카라사이트 University of California. He was previously vice-chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion at 바카라사이트 University of California, Irvine.

David Main is 바카라사이트 Royal Agricultural University¡¯s new pro vice-chancellor (academic planning and resources). He is professor of production animal health and welfare at 바카라사이트 Cirencester institution.

Scott Snyder is joining Western Sydney University as chief information and digital officer. He was previously chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Sunshine Coast and Charles Darwin University.

Simon Yuen has been appointed lecturer in fashion communication at Arts University Plymouth.