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Mathematical Problems with Names: The Soundex Phonetic System - John Barrow Gresham lecture

2,139 views · Published 5 May 2010 · 4:31 · Indexed 28 September 2026

Channel: Gresham College · 2010 · Education

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How is a simple mathematical code used to ensure that mistakes are avoided with names? What is the maths behind computer systems being able to account for variant spellings such as 'Smith' and Smyth'?

In this extract from his lecture on 'Codebreaking in Everyday Life', John D. Barrow, Gresham Professor of Geometry and Professor of Mathematical Science at the University of Cambridge, explains the maths behind this piece of code we find in our everyday lives.

This is the 6th part of 'Codebreaking in Everday Life'.
The full lecture is available (in 13 parts) here on YouTube, or it can be downloaded (like all of our lectures) in its complete form from the Gresham College website, in video, audio or text formats:
http://www.gresham.ac.uk

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website.

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