Photo: RNZ
An international gathering of mathematicians wraps up in Auckland on Friday.
Eight hundred people gathered at Auckland University for a conference that brought together the New Zealand, Australian, and American mathematical societies.
Conference-goers told RNZ they were enjoying the chance to connect with their fellow number-crunchers.
"Fostering these sort of relationships is always good, you need to meet with collaborators," one attendee said.
"To get this many people to gather in one place in this part of the world, I think just shows how critical it is to society, to industry, to thriving in the world," another said.
Yale University maths professor Richard Kenyon said the conference was great for meeting new people.
"The people you rub elbows with at the coffee break, and you go to their talk, and you can sit next to them and ask them what they're doing, this is some kind of connection with you don't get electronically."
Kenyon was excited to engage with mathematics in Australia and New Zealand.
"There's a whole world of mathematics in Australia and New Zealand which, you know we don't see each other very often.
"I have a few colleagues here and there, but it's great to meet a bunch of new people ... the math they do here is slightly different then they do in North America so it's really eye-opening to see all the different areas."
Auckland University associate professor Jeroen Schillewaert said the turn-out was amazing, especially as the conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand Mathematical Society .
"I think it's fantastic for the New Zealand community, and even broader for the Southern Hemisphere mathematical community, to have such a big gathering of people, more than 800, for our 50th anniversary. It's really wonderful."
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