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Mathematical Biography is organised by the British Society for the History of Mathematics and the School of Mathematics and Statistics, St Andrews University. Talks will take place between mid afternoon Friday 16th September and mid afternoon Saturday 17th September, with optional activities on the morning of 16th September.
The meeting will showcase various approaches to mathematical biography, bringing together mathematicians, historians, readers and writers to discuss their perspectives.
Biography can link mathematicians to their discipline’s past, inspire young people to become mathematicians, and engage the public in appreciation of mathematics. The conference will provide space to discuss the cultural roles of mathematical biography, and the historiographic and technical challenges of writing mathematical biography.
Planned sessions include: biography and the cultural significance of individuals; mathematical biography and new technologies; approaches to writing mathematical biography; reflecting on writing biography; politicisation of mathematical biography in the 20th century; writing and using biographies of female mathematicians; and a MacTutor session.
St Andrews is the home of the MacTutor biographical website. One session of the conference will celebrate the achievements of MacTutor and canvas the views of users on how they would like to see it further developed.