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Less is more: The quest for minimal surfaces
For over 250 years minimal surfaces have been playing hide and seek with mathematicians. But what are they and why are they interesting?
Election special
Was the Brexit result fair? Will the general election be fair? Can any election ever be fair? Find out more about the maths of democracy with these articles.
Maths: The next generation
What do young researchers in maths and computer science work on? We find out at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum 2019. From crime scene investigation to theoretical investigations of computer algorithms, the range is wide.
The power of ants
Find out how these humble animals have inspired computer algorithms to solve complex real-world problems.
Our changing picture of gravity
We look back over how our picture of gravity has changed Image courtesy NASA.
Synchronised swimming
How do green algae manage a perfect breaststroke even though they haven't got a brain? The maths of synchronisation explains and even sheds light on evolution.
Our theory of very nearly everything: the particles
What is everything made of?
Maths in a crowd
Many things in nature seem to be striving for a purpose — the carefully choreographed flocking of birds is an example. Are these birds smart enough to follow a common goal or is the apparent purpose an illusion? Find out with these articles. (Photo: Walter Baxter.)
Saving whales using Pythagoras
One of the greatest threats to whales is being struck by ships. Find out how Pythagoras' theorem can help avoid this.
Ramanujan: Dream of the possible
A hundred years ago the self-taught genius Srinivasa Ramanujan was elected Fellow of the Royal Society. Here is a look at the maths that gained him the title.
Seeing Pythagoras
The great thing about geometry is that you can sometimes prove things using pictures. Enjoy these three great visual proofs of Pythagoras' theorem!
Kurt Gödel: A postard from Vienna
Wim Hordijk recently sent us a digital postcard from Vienna, where he had traced the steps of the eminent mathematician Kurt Gödel. Here is what he discovered.
Celebrating black mathematicians
Last month the home of Plus joined Black History Month celebrations with an event showcasing the contributions of black mathematicians.
Spencer Becker-Kahn: Minimal surfaces
In this video Spencer Becker-Kahn explains what minimal surfaces are and why he likes them.
Maths behind the rainbow
Keats complained that a mathematical explanation of rainbows robs them of their magic, conquering "all mysteries by rule and line". But rainbow geometry is just as elegant as the rainbows themselves.
The PEMDAS Paradox
What answer do you get when
you calculate 6÷ 2(1+2)?
Maths in a minute: Escape velocity
Would you like to get away from Earth? Here's how fast you would need to go.
A cute problem goes big
Mathematicians have revived an old approach to solving the famous Riemann hypothesis.