How Mathematicians Think About Patterns - Professor Ian Stewart

There are many kinds of pattern in mathematics and many ways to think about them. But when it comes to visual patterns, one viewpoint stands out; symmetry.

This talk explores some basic ideas about symmetry, and shows how it helps us to understand patterns in nature - such as the markings on animals and fish, how animals move, the shapes of sand dunes, and the six-sided snowflake.

This the second in a series of three lectures on Patterns.

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...

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