Are you a GCSE or A-Level student interested in maths? Join us here at King's for our annual mathematics outreach event - The King's Factor Lecture! Dr Lassina Dembélé, Lecturer in Computational Number Theory, will take us on a entertaining journey through the world of prime numbers, unveiling some of the important real-life applications these well-known numbers have along the way.

This event is aimed at those aged 16+, but younger students are welcome to attend. Bring a group of students, or come with your friends and family.

Schedule

15:15 - Event opens; registration, refreshments and activities

16:15 - Theatre doors open

16:30-16:40 - Theatre event starts; welcome and housekeeping

16:40-17:00 - Research talk; King's PhD student

17:00-18:00 - Dr Lassina Dembélé talk and Q&A

18:00 - Event finishes

Hunting for prime numbers

Prime Numbers - natural numbers divisible only by 1 and themselves – are one of the most well-known concepts in mathematics, but how do we actually go about finding them? And what skills does a mathematician need to discover prime numbers, especially when some can hide from view in mysterious ways? Join Dr Lassina Dembélé, Lecturer in Computational Number Theory at King’s for an entertaining mathematical voyage, on the hunt for primes!

Prime numbers are both an interesting mathematical topic but also important to understand, as they can be multiplied together to create any number in the world. They are also a vital part of our modern world, forming a key part of encryption techniques that keep data safe on the internet. And yet finding them isn’t always straightforward.

As numbers get larger, prime numbers get harder and harder to find. Just like animals using camouflage to avoid predators, numbers can also camouflage themselves, with some even appearing like prime numbers, when they in fact are not. In this talk, Lassina will explore the counterintuitive and often amusing behaviours of prime numbers, exploring the tests mathematicians use to find prime numbers.

About Dr Lassina Dembélé

Lassina is a Lecturer in Computational Number Theory in the Department of Mathematics. He grew up in Ivory Coast, before moving to Canada to study for his PhD at McGill University, Canada. Following this, he held various research positions at Brandeis University, The University of Calgary, The Institute for Experimental Mathematics at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Dartmouth College and The University of Luxembourg. He also spent time at the University of Warwick as a Marie-Curie Fellow and an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow. He joined King’s College London in January 2022. 

His research here at King's is within the broad field of number theory. Whilst this is one of the oldest areas of mathematical research, there are still many interesting and often complex problems to be solved. Lassina's work focusses on Hilbert modular forms, and he develops efficient algorithms for working with these objects. 

Important information

This event is aimed at those aged 16+. Younger attendees are welcome, but attendees under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. For school groups, tickets are limited to 20 students per booking, to ensure a larger number of schools can attend. If you are aged 14–18 and booking for yourself, please check with a parent or guardian before booking your place. For in-person events we operate a policy of overbooking, to help manage on the day drop-out rates. Please ensure you arrive in good time to avoid disappointment on the day.

Registration for this event will take place in the main entrance to Bush House. This is the building A, marked in pink on this map - please use the entrance on the Strand, directly facing St Mary Le Strand Church.

Accessibility
This talk will take place in Bush House Lecture Theatre 1, on the first floor of the Bush House South Wing. The theatre is fully wheelchair accessible via lift, with designated spaces for wheelchair users. There are accessible bathrooms on this floor, and on the ground floor of the building. The refreshments and activities are taking place directly outside the theatre.

Wheelchair access is via lift. The nearest step-free underground station is Blackfriars, and a number of bus routes stop a short distance from the Strand Campus.

Photography and privacy notice
The event you will be attending will have photography and/or videography. If you do not wish to appear in any recordings or photographs, please approach our registration team on the day of the event or email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk beforehand. Photographs and recordings taken may feature in our publications or on the King’s website and social media channels. All personal data will be processed in accordance with King’s privacy policy available here.

We collect and process your personal information to help us manage and run the event. In accordance with the King’s College London Data Retention Schedule, we will keep your information until the completion of the event. To find out more about how the university deals with your personal information, including your rights, please see the university’s core privacy notice. Your personal information will be transferred to the United States via Eventbrite. Please read this article where you can find out more on how Eventbrite protects your data.

This event is organised by the Department of Mathematics at King’s College London, together with the Faculty Outreach Team. If you have any questions or would like any further details, please email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk.