▁the ▁number ▁of ▁atoms ▁in ▁the ▁Sun . ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁he ▁showed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁solar ▁system , ▁and ▁was ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁book ▁Men ▁of ▁Mathemat ics ▁by ▁Eric ▁Temple ▁Bell . ▁Polit ically , ▁D ys on ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁" br ought ▁up ▁as ▁a ▁social ist ". ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁D ys on ▁was ▁a ▁scholar ▁at ▁Win chester ▁College , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁Director ▁of ▁Music . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 7 ▁he ▁studied ▁pure ▁mathematics ▁with ▁A . ▁S . ▁Bes ic ov itch ▁as ▁his ▁t utor ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Cambridge ▁( where ▁he ▁won ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 ), ▁and ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 9 ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁war ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁Oper ational ▁Research ▁Section ▁( ORS ) ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁Bom ber ▁Command , ▁where ▁he ▁developed ▁analyt ical ▁methods ▁for ▁calculating ▁the ▁ideal ▁density ▁for ▁bom ber ▁form ations ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁bomb ▁German ▁targets ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁D ys on ▁was ▁read m itted ▁to ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁where ▁he ▁obtained ▁a ▁B A ▁degree ▁in ▁mathematics . ▁From ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁of ▁his ▁college , ▁occup ying ▁rooms ▁just ▁below ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁phil os opher ▁Ludwig ▁W