Understanding maths, to infinity and beyond

Dr Clemency Montelle is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Canterbury who specialises in deciphering and understanding ancient mathematical texts. In 2010 she embarked on a project to build an understanding of how astronomical and mathematical thinking evolved in India. By studying the way maths exists in archaeological and manuscript sources Montelle tries to understand the way societies thought, and by extension how they viewed themselves. She is the joint director of the History of Mathematical Sciences in India research hub and the director of the New Zealand South Asia Research Center.