About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we recall the equation of a straight line and discuss gradient as motivation for Topic 7.1. As we move through this mini-lecture, we think about: (i) the equation of a straight line, y = mx + c, where m is the gradient and c is the y-intercept; (ii) how to find the gradient of a line passing through two given points; (iii) how the gradient is the rate of change of y with respect to x; and (iv) the equation for a line given one point on the line and the gradient.

About the lecturer

Samir Siksek is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick. His research interests include Galois representations, modularity, explicit arithmetic geometry, arithmetic of curves and surfaces, Diophantine equations (the generalized Fermat equation in particular), and Waring's problem. In 2012, he appeared on BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time program discussing Fermat’s Last Theorem.