# How Mathematicians Think About Patterns

- Institution: Gresham College
- Speaker: Professor Ian Stewart FRS
- Year: 2013
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Mathematics
- Source: [Gresham College](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/how-mathematicians-think-about-patterns)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

There are many kinds of pattern in mathematics and many ways to think about them. But when it comes to visual patterns, one viewpoint stands out; symmetry. This talk explores some basic ideas about symmetry, and shows how it helps us to understand patterns in nature - such as the markings on animals and fish, how animals move, the shapes of sand dunes, and the six-sided snowflake.

## Lectures

1. [How Mathematicians Think About Patterns](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/how-mathematicians-think-about-patterns/a79c27580f98) (YouTube)