Hannah Fry: Mathematics for All – the Leelavati Prize

Welcome to Voices of Mathematics, a podcast from the Mathematics Faculty at the University of Cambridge.

From number theory and geometry to cosmology and quantum physics, join us to explore topics across pure and applied mathematics, mathematical statistics and theoretical physics.

In this episode we talk to Hannah Fry, Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Physics (DAMTP).

Hannah has just been awarded the Leelavati Prize at the International Congress of Mathematicians for outstanding contributions to raising the public awareness of mathematics.

The prize citation calls her 'one of the foremost global ambassadors for mathematical thinking,' and outlines her extraordinary impact as 'a voice for mathematics that resonates far beyond the public audience normally interested in science communication':

'She has used outstanding creativity and originality to translate mathematics into a language of wonder and relevance for the public without diminishing its scope and importance.' 

We talked to Hannah to find out more about how it felt to win the Leelavati Prize, what fuels her passion for mathematics communication, and the key to connecting with people to spark their curiosity about maths. 

 

This podcast is produced in collaboration with our Plus outreach platform (plus.maths.org), and hosted by Plus Editors Marianne Freiberger and Rachel Thomas.

To find out more about topics mentioned in this podcast see:

• Read more details about Hannah Fry's Leelavati Prize in our Faculty news story: https://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/features/professor-hannah-fry-wins-leelavati-prize
• Watch Hannah Fry's fantastic prize winner's profile video, produced by the Simons Foundation to accompany the official announcement.
• You can read an edited Q&A version of this podcast on Plus.
• Find out more about Hannah Fry's role as Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics in this article from 2024

 

Discover more about the University of Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics at maths.cam.ac.uk. 

Image credit: Lloyd Mann / University of Cambridge