Mathematics and comics

Rather a long time ago now I was in love with mathematics enough to study it at university. I've forgotten most of what I learned there, I cannot even understand the language any more, but the fondness remains.

Another passion that developed at university was for comics. So when I saw that Comica were doing a talk on mathematics and comics I just had to go.

The talk was on the new graphic novel Logicomix and was with the writer and artist on the comics side and the only mathematician anybody knows, Marcus du Sautoy, on the other.

What followed was another exhilarating talk. This was partly due to Marcus' questioning which showed his interest in storytelling, just as he did a year ago at the Royal Society. But good conversations need all participants to play their parts well and author Apostolos Doxiadis and artist Alecos Papadatos certainly did this with their erudite explanations and insights.

The talk itself would have made it a great evening but the icing on the cake was to get Marcus du Sautoy to sign one of his books and Apostolos Doxiadis and Alecos Papadatos to sign my newly purchased copy of Logicomix. Another Xmas present in the waiting.

I was also able to catch organiser Paul Gravett to thank him for the excellent Comica season; thanks I am delighted to repeat here.