Helen Pilcher chats to Eugenia Cheng.
Mathematician and pianist Eugenia Cheng talks to Helen Pilcher about maths, music, cake, and why it’s good to get things wrong
What do you do?
I teach, talk and write about maths, and research abstract algebra. I’m also on a mission to rid the world of maths phobia.
Why are people maths phobic?
Part of the problem is the way maths is taught. So much is about following rules and getting the right answer, but this can be confining. If kids get things wrong it can make them feel stupid, so it’s off-putting.
How should maths be taught?
We should teach maths so it’s less about getting the right answer, and more about investigation and discovery. Maths isn’t just about numbers, it’s about thinking. I teach maths to university art students by getting them to cut stuff out and stick it together. They discover that triangles are a good shape for covering surfaces. That’s quite a profound mathematical insight. In my ideal scenario, the education system would focus less on test results and trust teachers to know how the students are doing. Food can be motivating too.
Mmm… food. The maths of cake?
Why not? Food can be really motivating. Maths is like cooking. You add different things together and see what you get. I use Battenberg cake when I’m teaching group theory to my second year maths students because its structure is a piece of high level maths.
How do you relax?
I’m a classically trained pianist, so I play the piano. I play Bach every day because it aligns my brain and satisfies my soul, but I also enjoy Debussy because it’s less technically challenging but musically fulfilling.
Aren’t maths and classical music both a bit highbrow?
People often think that unless they’ve studied them and passed tonnes of exams, these subjects are off limits. That’s a shame. You don’t need to be able to do maths or play music in order to appreciate it, just like you can go into a museum and appreciate paintings without being an artist. I try to bring classical music to a wider audience.
Are maths and music linked?
They’re both about structure. You need to understand the internal structure of a complicated piano piece or mathematical problem in order to get your head around it.
Any bad habits you’d care to admit?
I’m a spectacular procrastinator. There are also times when I get stuck at work and the only thing that unsticks me is having something to eat. I find that really annoying.
Where is your favourite place?
I love being by the sea. I grew up in Brighton so I have an affinity to pebble beaches. I also love the beach in Nice, where I worked for a year. It’s like Brighton, but warmer.
Dr Eugenia Cheng is scientist in residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her new book, The Art Of Logic: How To Make Sense In A World That Doesn’t (£14.99, Profile Books) is out now.
Eugenia runs the Liederstube, an informal classical music salon in Chicago, where musicians can just turn up and perform.
“MATHS IS LIKE COOKING. YOU ADD DIFFERENT THINGS TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT YOU GET”