Articles

What is a black hole – mathematically?Pau Figueras explains how Einstein's theories predicted the existence of black holes, and how to describe them mathematically.
What is a black hole – physically? Small, dark, and very hard to see. This and far more indepth answers to every question you ever wanted to ask about black holes.
How to win at Mornington CrescentThis article casts a mathematical eye over a famous non-game enjoyed by thousands of people up and down the UK every week.
Ramanujan surprises againA fascinating discovery sheds new light on the work of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Physics in a minute: What's the problem with quantum gravity?At the heart of modern physics lurks a terrible puzzle: the two main theories that describe the world we live in just won't fit together.
George Boole and the wonderful world of 0s and 1sThe story of George Boole is an extraordinary example of collaboration across the centuries.
Power networksWhy do so many networks exhibit a similar kind of structure? It's because the rich tend to get richer!
Maths in a minute: The power of powersThe powers of x can work magic.
Maths in a minute: Continued fractionsContinued fractions reveal the good, the bad and the beautiful side of numbers.
Quantum computing: Some (not so) gruesome detailsA closer look at one of the simplest quantum algorithms.
What can quantum computers do?What will quantum computers be able to do that ordinary computers can't do?
Do quantum computers exist?What's stopping us from building useful quantum computers? And how long until we'll have them?