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Arts
Jeremy Lee reviews X&Y, the latest production from Marcus du Sautoy, where mathematics meets dramatics
A MULTIPLE OF SUMS “They explore the concepts of zero, infinity, irrational numbers, imaginary numbers and the fourth dimension” One of the most common responses on hearing that you have a degree in mathematics is something along the lines of “you must be really good at times tables”. While this may be true – except, in my case, not the 7s or 8s – I normally respond with “my degree is in mathematics, not arithmetic”. The distinction is fundamental, but lost on many. As Marcus du Sautoy says, it’s like the difference between learning Shakespeare and learning to write. As holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford, it is du Sautoy’s task to promote a true understanding of science to the masses and to elevate the awareness of mathematics above functional arithmetic. I first became aware of him while watching The Story of Maths, a series shown on BBC Four in 2008. While relatively niche in both subject matter and broadcasting channel, it was well received among the ‘mathmos’ that I know. It is, however, his partnerships with popular comedians Alan Davies and Dara Ó Briain that may have brought him directly into mainstream consciousness. But brainteasers and puzzles are a long way from abstract mathematical concepts. In creating X&Y, du Sautoy and fellow mathematician and protagonist Victoria Gould, attempt to bring the abstract to the people through the medium of theatre. Respectively portraying variables X and Y, they explore the
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Marcus du Sautoy, (right) and Victoria Gould (left) bring the abstract to people through the medium of theatre concepts of zero, infinity, irrational numbers, imaginary numbers and the fourth dimension. X reveres the beauty of mathematical theory and chases infinity, while Y is the challenging and wittier voice of the limited and inelegant real world. For example, while in theory you can keep cutting a sphere in half, resulting in ever smaller segments, in practice you can’t do this with an orange. As X and Y journey around their minimalist world for 75 minutes, there are moments of humour, and successful characterisation of both variables leads to some poignant moments as they discuss singularities and the finiteness of time. However, be warned as there is a lot of maths. A lot. From the first interaction, a rapid algebraic duel quickly sorts the mathematicians from the boys: “Factorise!” “Differentiate!” It was like being haunted by my university
interviews. And it’s not just algebra and calculus: geometry, topology, logic and even thermodynamics are used with abandon. This level of technical language makes for an awesome experience. Readers of The Actuary who have previously trodden a mathematical path, may find X&Y to be a whistle-stop trip down a steep (and perhaps rather dusty) memory lane. But non-mathematicians may find themselves lost in the jargon. The final message is clear though: maths is like theatre. Both have limitations in physical space, and both have unbounded potential in the human mind. But if X = maths and Y = theatre, does that make X&Y any more than the sum of its parts or is it just a well-staged maths lecture? Perhaps, as a mathematician, I have been guilty of not seeing the poetic wood for the iambic pentameterised trees.
THE ACTUARY • November 2013 www.theactuary.com
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