In this excellent talk the mathematician Vicky Neale gives a fascinating and easy-to-follow introduction to the prime numbers — from a thorough description of what they are, via the ancient proof that there are infinitely many, to the prime number theorem, the twin prime conjecture and more. By the end of this talk you hopefully agree with us, and Vicky, that the world would be a very boring place without primes.

Vicky gave this talk at the University of Cambridge on 19 June 2015 to an audience of Year 12 A-level Maths students (aged 16-17). It formed part of a mathematics enrichment day organised by the Millennium Mathematics Project with a special focus on encouraging creative mathematical thinking. For more on creative mathematics, visit Wild Maths.

To find out more about prime numbers, browse our articles on the subject.