Beschreibung

The sphere is beautifully symmetrical—perhaps even a bit boring—and we think we know it well. In reality, the sphere contains a wealth of mathematics, and there are still unsolved problems associated with it. After all, the geometry of the sphere has been the foundation of navigation and cartography for centuries, and it is certainly one of the most studied mathematical surfaces of all. Join us on a mathematical journey of discovery that begins with high school geometry and takes us through the sum of angles in a spherical triangle to the hairy sphere theorem and beyond. Questions that arise along the way include: What is curvature? What is symmetry? Why is the seven-dimensional sphere "almost" a group? And finally, what is the sphere problem that got Maryna Viazovska the Fields medal in 2022 and led to a surprising press release by a company called ?Math, Inc.“ in March 2026?