The ability of the human brain to perceive reality is the result of complex mathematical operations. This correlation will be explained to us at the Athens Science Festival 2018 by Athanassios Fokas, one of the most important mathematicians in the world.

Fokas is a Professor and Chair of non-linear Mathematical Science in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. He has been working on the mathematical formulation of consciousness for many years. At the ASF2018 he will describe the ways in which we process and perceive external stimuli, while focusing on the mathematical issues that arise in medical imaging, as a means of understanding the neurological processes of perception.

Also, the great Greek scientist will correlate for us the mathematical language with art, and the role of the unconscious. The strong connection between mathematics and neuronal functions is, according to Fokas, indicative of their importance. He has repeatedly declared his love for the science of mathematics, which have been a point of reference throughout his multi-disciplinary studies, and his diverse research and academic career.

Born in 1952 in Argostoli, Kefalonia, he left Greece when he finished high school to study aeronautics at Imperial College. He continued his studies at the California Institute of Technology, where he received his doctorate in Applied Mathematics. He then studied Medicine, and immediately after graduation he was appointed Professor and Chairman at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Clarkson University, USA. Upon his return to London, Fokas taught at Imperial College, and six years later he became the first professor to become the head of non-linear mathematical science at Cambridge.

In 2005 he became the first elected member of the Academy of Athens from his discipline. He has been honoured with countless awards and distinctions, including the Nylon Prize of the London Mathematical Society (the Nobel of Applied Mathematics), and the decoration of the Commander of the Order of Phoenix, which was awarded to him in 2005 by the President of the Hellenic Republic.

Title: Perception and the essence of mathematics || Date & Time: 24 April, 20.00- 20.50