Articles

Number crunching antsLiz Newton finds that having a small brain doesn't stop you doing great things.
Understanding uncertainty: The maths of surprises

You meet an old friend on holiday, you find your colleague shares your birthday, you win the lottery. Exactly how rare are these rare events? David Spiegelhalter investigates in his regular column on uncertainty and risk.
Andrew Wiles
Fermat's last theorem and Andrew WilesNeil Pieprzak tells the fascinating story of Andrew Wiles who, with intense devotion and in secret, proved a deceptively simple-looking conjecture that had defeated mathematicians for almost 400 years.
If we all go for the blondeJosé-Manuel Rey revisits a scene of the film A beautiful Mind.
Editorial
  • I need maths like a carburettor recalibration

  • The 118 188 challenge
Maths on a planePhil Trinh discovers how maths helps solve the mysteries of flight and love.
The amazing librarianJosefina Alvarez describes the workings of the most famous search engine of them all. You'll need some linear algebra for this one, but it's worth the while!
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Beyond MeasureConversations across science and art
Outer space: How to rig an electionIt's easier than you think
Blowin' in the wind: solution
Plus Magazine
Understanding uncertainty: The Premier League

This is the second part of our new column on risk and uncertainty. David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, continues examining league tables using the Premier League as an example. Find out just how much — or how little — these simple rankings can tell you.