Matthew Thomas Parker (born 22 December 1980)[2]: 20:45 [3] is an Australian[4] recreational mathematician, author, comedian, YouTube personality and science communicator based in the United Kingdom.

[7][8] He began showing an interest in maths and science from a young age, and at one point was part of his school's titration team.

[9][10] Parker went to the University of Western Australia and started off studying mechanical engineering before he "realized the very real risk of being employable at the end of it."

He now helps students communicate mathematics to other people, speaks at schools, does media work, and occasionally writes about maths.

[15] In 2012, Parker and fellow comedian Timandra Harkness co-wrote a comedy show called Your Days are Numbered: The Maths of Death.

[16] Parker has also toured the UK solo and as part of comedy group Festival of the Spoken Nerd, along with Helen Arney and Steve Mould.

[23] In 2014, Parker set up Think Maths, a team of experienced mathematics speakers who visit schools to run workshops and give talks for a wide range of ages and abilities, to show students the wider world of maths beyond school while giving them a chance to develop mathematical thinking skills.

[24] In 2016, Parker appeared briefly as a guest on the British comedy panel game quiz show, QI.

[25][26] Parker has appeared on BBC Radio Four's The Infinite Monkey Cage with Robin Ince and Brian Cox.

[28] For the 2019 edition of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, televised on BBC Four, Parker assisted presenter Hannah Fry in several segments.

[29] In October 2017, Parker started a petition to "Update the UK Traffic Signs Regulations to a geometrically correct football."

In a YouTube video, he explained why the current football shape on traffic signs is incorrect and geometrically impossible.

Parker described the current signs as a "national embarrassment" and said he hopes the petition will "help raise public awareness and appreciation of geometry."

The citation highlights Parker's biennial "Pi Day challenges", stating that they have helped to popularise mathematics.