The simple groups are the building blocks of all finite groups. The classification of finite simple groups is a towering achievement of 20th century mathematics. In addition to 18 infinite families of finite simple groups, there are 26 sporadic groups. The biggest sporadic group, dubbed The Monster, has about 10^54 elements. The talk will give a glimpse of this deep area of mathematics.

Making decisions when outcomes are uncertain is a common problem we all face. In this talk I will outline some recent developments on this question from the mathematics of finance-the theory of risk measures and nonlinear expectations. I will also talk about how decisions are currently made in the finance industry, and how some simple mathematics can show where these systems are open to abuse.