Global mathematics histories and futures
Mathematics that will surprise and delight you!
What can the histories of mathematics from all societies worldwide tell us about mathematics we may need to tackle 21st century global problems? This workshop aims to bring together cross-cultural, historical, and frontier mathematical knowledge.
Speakers
Cost
Earlybird Registration before COB Friday 05 June, 2026
AustMS/AMSI Members: $100
Non-AustMS-AMSI Members: $150
Students: Free – but must register by 5th June to be considered for travel and accommodation support. Student registrants who are requesting such support must e-mail evidence of student status, such as recommendation from supervisor/lecturer, directly to the Convenor and copy to Admin.
Standard Registration after Friday 05 June:
AustMS/AMSI Members: $150
Non-AustMS-AMSI Members: $200
Students: Free – but must register
Registration includes a welcome reception, attendance at all sessions, and morning and afternoon teas. Lunches are at your own expense. Included in the registration fee is a cultural tour – TBA, but places will be limited so please register by the early bird deadline to guarantee your place in the cultural tour.
About
Registration link is now live! Please click on 'Register' above to secure your place. There are limited places available, due to seminar room capacity. Deadline for the earlybird rate is 5th June. The workshop is free to attend if you are a student, but you must register. Students travelling from outside Canberra may apply for travel and on-campus accommodation support, if so you must apply by the earlybird deadline of 05th June.
An exciting and immersive program is under construction – check for updates.
Further Information
What are the greatest mathematical challenges for humanity? In 1959 ‘the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics’ was contemplated by Wigner as ‘a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve’, the wonder being that mathematics is so powerful in describing and predicting observed behaviours of the physical and even the biological and social worlds. Sixty-five years later, those worlds are beset by even worse problems that are unprecedented in kind or in scale and global reach. Global climate warming, wildfires, the despairing, seemingly endless, cycles of regional wars that humanity seems locked into, the rise of the far right and authoritarianism, pandemics, the intractable biases of tech, microplastics pollution...
This workshop aims to expand the celebrated effectiveness of mathematics, through –
- a diversity of people in mathematics,
- a broader cultural diversity of mathematics in mathematics,
- global histories, evolution and transmission of mathematical knowledge,
- non-Western and First Nations mathematical knowledges.
- decolonisation of undergraduate courses in mathematical sciences,
- unprecedented ethical issues, the potential and risks of AI in mathematics higher education and research.
The program of this research workshop and winter school may include keynote speakers on mathematics histories and the frontiers and futures of their research, expert lectures on diverse mathematical topics of broad interest, and moderated discussion sessions.
Target participants include mathematics research students (postgrad and undergrad/honours), early career researchers, university educators and senior researchers, and industry practitioners. Minimum mathematics level assumed is completion of first-year mathematics. Lectures and Keynotes will be pitched at 3-4th year undergraduate and beginning postgraduate levels.
This will be a fully accessible, friendly, informal and inclusive event. We welcome and value contributions from all participants. We may offer support to mathematics undergraduate and postgraduate (Masters, M.Phil, PhD) students and early-career researchers from Australia, NZ Aotearoa, PNG, Timor-Leste, and Pacific Islands Nations.
Registered participants at all levels are welcome to give a 15-20 minute contributed talk relevant to the themes of the workshop. Students and early-career researchers are encouraged to give a 15-20 minute talk or a poster that explains their research and its significance for the global problems confronting humanity. Title and abstract may be submitted on the registration page.
Convenor
Rowena Ball (Australian National University)
Invited Keynote Speakers – to be updated
Dr Kerri Spooner, Auckland University of Technology
Title: 'What happens to Māori in New Zealand’s Mathematics Education System?'
Dr Ian Le, ANU
Title: 'Comprehending Large Numbers'
Associate Professor Joan Licata, ANU
Title: TBC
Dr Maurice Chiodo, University of Cambridge UK
Topic: Ethics in mathematics. Title: TBC
Professor Edward Doolittle, First Nations University of Canada
Title: 'Spot-It with Words from Indigenous Languages'
Dr Lashi Bandara, Deakin University
Title: Agency, diversity, mastery: co-constructed mastery based "vector" valued learning
Professor Jason Sharples, UNSW Canberra (TBC)
Invited Guest Lecturers – to be updated
Dr Parisa Kharazmi, University of Aveiro, Portugal, Early Career Lecturer
Dr Eloise Tredenick, University of Canberra
Title: 'Women in mathematics: The recognised and forgotten women of mathematics and adjacent fields in ancient and modern history'
Dr Maurice Chiodo, University of Cambridge UK
Dr Sungyeon Hong, School of Cybernetics, ANU
Dr Clio Cresswell, University of Sydney
Dr Daniel Mansfield, UNSW Sydney
Invited Roundtable Discussion Leaders – to be updated
Associate Professor Leesa Sidhu, UNSW Canberra
Dr Clio Cresswell, University of Sydney
Dr Daniel Mansfield, UNSW Sydney
Student support applications
We may offer travel and accommodation bursaries to students travelling from outside Canberra. Please register by 5th June and send a brief letter from your supervisor/lecturer to the Convenor with copy to Admin if you wish to be considered for this support.
Scientific/Organising Committee and Co-Convenors
Lilia Ferrario (Australian National University)
Stephan Tillmann (University of Sydney SMRI)
Jared Field (Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney)
Jordan Pitt (Associate Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Services and Applied Mathematician, University of Sydney)
Eloise Tredenick (Data Science Group, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Canberra)
Travel information
Schedule
More information
Partners & sponsors
Location
Venue
Mathematical Sciences Institute, Hanna Neumann Building 145, Science Road, Canberra ACT 2601