Articles

Watch and learnA brief introduction to the strange theory of quantum mechanics and how it appears to afford a special role to observers.

Maths in a minute: Maths and navigationHow the need to locate your location at sea led to some interesting mathematics.

Taming big dataA new institute on the maths of information has just been launched at the Faculty of Mathematics in Cambridge.

Maths in a minute: The square root of 2 is irrationalHere's one of the most elegant proofs in all of maths. Rejoice in its simplicity!

Maths in a minute: Maths and communicationA quick look at the role of mathematics in communication — from making and breaking codes to making sure messages arrive intact.

The happy ending problem So easy to describe, yet so hard to prove.

The mathematics of kindnessIf only the fittest survive, how can we explain the evolution of altruism? Mathematics has some answers.

Maths in a minute: False positivesWhy a positive test result doesn't necessarily mean you have the disease.

Not just a matter of time: Measuring complexityAre there problems computers will never be able to solve, no matter how powerful they become?

Not just a matter of time: The halting problemIn the 1930s Alan Turing discovered a computer program that is logically impossible. What other limits are there to computation?

Not just a matter of time: The busy beaverJourney to the limits of computation with a number that's easy to describe but can't be calculated.

Maths in a minute: How many primes?Here's the ancient proof that there are infinitely many prime numbers.