St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures

← St. John's College (Annapolis) Lectures19 Mar · 57 min

The Nature and Power of Numbers (Brendon Lasell)

The Nature and Power of Numbers (Brendon Lasell)19 Mar57 min

<p>Recording of a lecture delivered on February 13, 2026, by Annapolis tutor Brendon Lasell, as the 2026-26 NEH lecture.</p><p>Mr. Lasell offers the following description of his lecture: "Diophantus begins his Arithmetica by saying that he has 'tried to establish the nature and power of numbers.' After a short general introduction, he goes on to pose and solve hundreds of difficult problems about numbers. We will explore whether numbers have a nature and how it can be established, looking at examples of the kind of work Diophantus does with numbers."</p>