Articles

Getting electrical

How do you make a stealth aircraft that's invisible to radar? An area of maths called random matrix theory holds the answer.

Invisibility cloaks

Fully functioning invisibility cloaks are closer to becoming a reality than you might think. Here's a quick look at the maths and science involved in producing them.

Let's rock

Rock and its use for tools and buildings has shaped human civilisation. Here's an introduction to the maths of rocks.

Maths in a minute: The brazil nut effect

Why your muesli shakes down in unexpected ways.

Making penalties fairer

Is the proposed ABBA rule for penalty shootouts really fairer than the existing rule? Maths shows that it is, and also suggests another, more subtle rule.

Maths in a minute: Compound interest and e

Compound interest is the curse of debt and the blessing of saving. Find out how it works and what it has to do with one of the most important numbers in mathematics.

A conversation with Stephen Cook

We talk to pioneering mathematician Stephen Cook, who came up with the concept of NP-complete problems, about his work, computer science, and artificial intelligence.

What's your problem?

There are problems that are easy to solve in theory, but impossible to solve in practice. Intrigued? Then join us on a journey through the world of complexity, all the way to the famous P versus NP conjecture.

The shape and fate of the Universe

How will the Universe end? In a big crunch? Or a big freeze? It all depends on its shape...

Maths in a minute: Variance

If you're bored with the average, then move on to the variance!

Mathematician advises the Home Office

Statistics professor John Aston has been appointed as the Home Office's new Chief Scientific Adviser.

On the tiles

Our colleague Becky Warren has been distracting us with her wonderful tiling puzzles...