Speaker: Athina Avrantini

Abstract: Originally published in 1977, “A Headache-Causing Problem” features an amusing author list: “Conway (J.H.), Paterson (M.S.), and Moscow (U.S.S.R)”. In this talk, I will walk you through the quirky paper (which starts with a “disproof” of its main theorem) and share some of the history behind it. Hopefully, I will avoid giving you a headache, but no promises.