Efim Zelmanov (1994 Fields Medal) talks to University of Oxford Mathematician Dr Tom Crawford about why people hate maths, how he solved the Burnside problem, and what makes math beautiful. Full list of questions below.

Recorded at the 2023 Heidelberg Laureate Forum.

Full list of questions covered in the interview:

Why do people hate mathematics?
Is maths a science or an art?
How did you feel when you solved the Burnside problem and were awarded the Fields medal?
Will the remainder of the Burnside problem be solved anytime soon?
What area of maths do you find the most beautiful?
Should maths be split into pure and applied subjects?
What is your mathematical genealogy?
Do you prefer Newton or Leibniz notation for derivatives?
Is zero a natural number?
Was maths discovered or invented?
Do you have a favourite number?
Do you prefer blackboards or whiteboards?