Articles

The mathematics of shufflingA journey into the maths of card shuffling gives us a great insight into how mathematicians work.

Ghosts in the tilingDo you like curves? The you'll love tricurves and their ghostly phantoms!

How to (pretend to) memorise a pack of cardsHere is a neat way of using maths to pretend to memorise a pack of cards. Amaze your friends! Astound your family!

Maths in a minute: The logistic mapGet a fish to teach you chaos theory!

Compound infectionsWhy does the number e appear in models of exponential growth?

How long until it's all over?We can't say for sure, but everything depends on how many people agree to be vaccinated.

Who should be vaccinated first?Modelling shows that old and vulnerable people should be prioritised.

How were the vaccines tested?Like any medical drug, vaccines are tested in large-scale randomised controlled trials.

How effective are the vaccines — and how do we know this?The efficacy of vaccines is estimated from trials, using statistical techniques.

Since herd immunity will protect us all, why do I need to get vaccinated?Because the vaccine may not stop transmission of the virus.

Are the vaccines safe?Yes the approved vaccines are safe. If you balance the risks, then taking the vaccine is much safer than taking your chances with COVID-19.

What's the price for relaxing the rules?We are all longing to go into a lower tier, but this can come at a high price later on.