Newsletter

Receive regular updates about forthcoming events and other news from Intelligence Squared

Thanks

You have been added to our mailing list and will now be among the first to hear about events.

Live On Stage
Wednesday May 6 2026, 7pm BST

Marcus du Sautoy on How Mathematics Shapes Creativity

Mathematicians and artists can sometimes seem to sit at opposite ends of the intellectual spectrum. But could it be that maths often plays a crucial role in the creation of art, music, literature and more?

Whether we are searching for meaning in an abstract painting or deciphering poetry, there are mathematical blueprints everywhere: prime numbers, symmetry, fractals and the weirder worlds of Hamiltonian cycles and hyperbolic geometry.

On May 6 award-winning mathematician and Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy will explore how maths and creativity are interlinked. Drawing from his new book Blueprints, he will discuss how we can see the influence of maths everywhere in art and culture: from the earliest stone circles to the modernist architecture of Le Corbusier; from Bach’s circular compositions to Radiohead’s disruptive soundscapes; and from Shakespeare’s hidden numerical clues to the Dada artists who embraced randomness. 

Join us live at Kings Place in London and ask your questions in the audience Q&A.

Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity (Hardback)
by Marcus Du Sautoy

BUY ON:
Event Name

Marcus du Sautoy on How Mathematics Shapes Creativity



Speaker
  • Marcus du Sautoy

    Mathematician and science broadcaster

Speakers are subject to change.


Location
  • Kings Place
  • 90 York Way
  • London
  • N1 9AG
Time
  • Wednesday 6 May 2026
  • 7pm to 8:30pm BST





Speakers

Speaker

Marcus du Sautoy

Mathematician and science broadcaster


One of the country’s best known science broadcasters. He is Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University, where he holds the prestigious Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science. He has presented numerous programmes on television and radio, including the internationally acclaimed BBC series The Story of Maths. His bestselling books include The Music of the Primes, The Number Mysteries, Around the World in 80 Games and Blueprints.

Speakers are subject to change.