News from the world of maths

Figures recently released by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that 10 per cent more applications were made this year for courses in the mathematical sciences than last year. This pushed mathematics in to the top 20 most popular courses at UK universities.

Sir David Wallace, chair of the Council for Mathematical Sciences, said, "This is not just great news for the mathematical sciences. It is also great news for the UK as a whole as we need mathematics graduates more than ever before. As a bedrock for our knowledge economy, mathematics is vital for scientific research and development, and for our economic and social well-being."

This year, by the closing date for applications to study in 2007, UCAS had received 33,790 applications for mathematics courses. This demonstrates a 10 per cent increase on this time last year and a massive 37 per cent increase since 2004.

Applications to the mathematical sciences dropped suddenly in 2000 following the introduction of AS-levels. The numbers have been steadily increasing ever since but are still not at the levels they were just ten years ago.