Marcus du Sautoy

Agent: Antony Topping

Marcus du Sautoy is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, a Fellow of New College, and holds the distinguished position of Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science. In 2001, he won the Berwick Prize of the London Mathematical Society, awarded every two years for the best mathematical research made by a mathematician under 40, and in 2004, he was chosen by Esquire Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people under 40 in Britain.

Marcus is renowned for his ability to make Maths appeal to the public: indeed, The Sunday Times has described him as “a contagious enthusiast, a populist with a staunch faith in the public’s intelligence”. He presented the BBC TV game show, MIND GAMES, for which he received a nomination for the Royal Society of Television’s Best Newcomer to a Network award, and wrote and presented the TV series THE STORY OF MATHS, on BBC 4 in 2008.

Most recently, he has presented ‘The Hunt for AI’ a Horizon programme on BBC2, has competed in BBC2’s Maestro, for the chance to perform at the Royal Opera House and was a weekly contributor on Dave’s Dara O Briain: School of Hard Sums. Marcus has also presented, THE CODE, a series shown on BBC 2 in July and August 2011 – for which The Telegraph hailed him as mathematics’ “television talisman”. On the radio, he has been involved in various programmes, writing and presenting 5 SHAPES (BBC radio 4, 2004) and the MATHS AND MUSIC episode of THE ESSAY series (BBC radio 3, 2007).

Marcus has spoken at numerous events, including, most prestigiously, giving the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture in 2006. Here, in his series of five talks, ‘The Num8er My5teries’, he looks at the great questions that Maths has helped us to solve – and also the puzzles it has left us. Elsewhere, the topics of his speeches have ranged from what is so attractive about symmetry to why prime numbers are special – for mathematicians and footballers alike.

Marcus’ Marvellous Mathemagicians: http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/notices/mathemagicians

Blog:http://findingmoonshine.blogspot.com/

Guardian Profile: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/marcus-du-sautoy

The Royal Institution Christmas Lecture: http://www.rigb.org/christmaslectures2006/