Special Lecture: Algebraicity, Transcendence, and Periods

Transcendental numbers form a mysterious and large class of complex numbers: they are defined as complex numbers that are not the solution of a polynomial equation, and include the numbers pi and e, for example. Within this class, we find the periods that were first studied by Newton and Kepler in the context of celestial mechanics, and which present many curious properties that are the subject of very active research. In this talk, I will give a glimpse of almost 500 years of history of periods, right up to the most recent developments.