Articles

Constant worriesWhat makes a number a constant of nature?
Dreaming the dreamWhy cosmologists worry about isolated brains that randomly fluctuate into existence.
chess pieces
Maths in a minute: Why do mathematicians play games?Why game theory is a serious business.
Why does cosmology need philosophy?George Ellis explains why the study of the cosmos poses some very deep questions.
Phillip Griffiths: Beauty, truth and being practical The winner of the 2014 Chern medal tells us about beauty in maths, the twists and turns of mathematical history, and his work for the maths community.
The maths of magic squaresHave you ever wondered how to create a magic square? Charles Kelly shows us how to create a magic square of any size, and even of any dimension!
Making a right angle the Maya wayThe Mayan civilisation brought forth many great things — including this clever way of making a right angle.
Too big to write but not too big for GrahamMeet the number that's bigger than the observable Universe!
Numbers, toys and music: A conversation with Manjul BhargavaThe Fields medallist reveals the beauty of numbers, how he drew inspiration from Sanskrit maths and a Rubik's cube, and how his maths fits with his tabla playing.
john Milnor
John Milnor: A conversation with a mathematical legendWhy doing maths is like being Lewis Carroll's Red Queen and how to keep going beyond the formidable age of 84.
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Answers on a donut – the Fields medal lecture of Manjul BhargavaWe enjoyed Manjul Bhargava's Fields medal lecture so much we wanted to share it with you!
The art of guessingHow to avoid tedious calculations.