Dr. Eugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and author of several books, including Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to the Outer Limits of Mathematics (Basic Books, 2017) and The Art of Logic in an Illogical World (Basic Books, 2018) and Is Math Real?: How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics’ Deepest Truths (Basic Books, 2023). Her first book, How to Bake π, was published by Basic Books in May 2015.
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A Mathematician Asks ‘Is Math Real?’
When math is based on abstract concepts, how do we know it’s correct? Dr. Eugenia Cheng takes on that question in a new book.
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Where Math Comes From
Math isn’t just about following rules. It’s about figuring out why they exist, and if there’s a way to break them.
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The Logic Of Blame
When it comes to blame and logic, it may be more useful to understand the system rather than the individual.
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24:11
Using Logic In A Maddening World
We all think we’re logical. So why do we have so many disagreements?
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24:56
How Abstract Math Can Analyze Social Injustice
Abstract math can be a tool to better understand power structures in society, says mathematician Eugenia Cheng, and to examine the injustice between groups.
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29:57
The Infinitely Surprising Career Of A Mathematician
Three mathematicians talk about the latest topics and their start in math.
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Why Infinity Is No Ordinary Number
The idea of infinity is easy to come up with, but we must be careful what we do with it.
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16:52
To Infinity and Beyond With Mathematician Eugenia Cheng
Infinity is not classified as a normal number, and some infinities are bigger than others. Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores these and other conundrums of this complex concept.
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17:18
Eugenia Cheng: How To Bake Pi
In her new book How to Bake Pi, mathematician Eugenia Cheng cooks up digestible math lessons on number theory to topology.
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How Math is Like Baking: You Just Need a Recipe
An excerpt from “How to Bake Pi” by Eugenia Cheng.