Wake Forest Gentry lecturer in mathematics explores the shape of space

September 25, 2007

When we look out on a clear night, the universe seems infinite, but that may be an illusion.  Mathematician Jeffrey Weeks will present “The Shape of Space” at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 in Brendle Recital Hall at Wake Forest University.  Using interactive 3-D graphics and recent satellite data, Weeks will take audience members on a tour of several possible shapes for the universe.  He uses computer games to introduce the concept of a “multiconnected universe.”

Weeks is a freelance mathematician living in Canton, N.Y., who splits his time between research and education.  He is a former MacArthur Fellow and current National Science Foundation award recipient.  His current research centers on a collaboration with cosmologists to test the shape of the universe using satellite data.

The lecture is appropriate for audiences middle-school aged and older; it is free and open to the public.

Press Contacts:

Audrey Fannin
(336) 758-5237


Kevin Cox
(336) 758-5237