Title: The discovery of the surreal numbers
Speaker: Carlos Pereira dos Santos, ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon & NovaMath, FCT NOVA, Portugal
Abstract
John Horton Conway (1937–2020) was an unconventional mathematician. He made highly sophisticated contributions across a wide range of fields, demonstrating remarkable skill in connecting them in astonishing ways. A paradigmatic example is the discovery of the surreal numbers, which, without exaggeration, can be regarded as a landmark moment in the history of mathematics. This work aims to explore that moment by providing an intuitive analysis of the crucial aspects of the discovery, as well as by presenting videos in which Conway himself explains and comments on each of them in his own words. The result is a non-technical talk, accessible to undergraduate students with some background in mathematics.