On this occasion, Durham’s own Andrew Lobb is going to be talking about a problem solved by himself and another mathematician, Joshua Green, during lockdown. It should provide an excellent insight into cutting edge mathematical research and the art of problem solving.

Without giving too much away, the problem that Andrew will be talking about is the question of: You are given a smooth, continuous, closed curve. Is it possible to find four point on the curve which form the vertices of a rectangle of arbitrary proportions?

It’s a very intriguing conundrum that has gained a small amount of internet fame due to a 3Blue1Brown video on a variation of the problem in question. We’re very excited to hear what Andrew has to say about the solution!