Eugenia Cheng’s mission is to rid the world of maths phobia. She holds a doctorate in pure maths from the University of Cambridge University, teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, is a concert pianist, founded Liederstube (a non-profit organisation aimed at bringing classical music to a wider audience) and has written three books in which she proselytises the beauty of mathematics. They are How To Bake Pi – in which she posits that the béchamel in a lasagne resembles the number five; Beyond Infinity; and The Art of Logic – in which she links Euclid’s axiomatisation of geometry with sexual harassment. Cheng speaks and argues deftly with Tanya Evans.

Supported by Te Pūnaha Matatini.