Articles

Maths in a minute: Black holesA quick introduction to the monsters that lurk at the centre of each galaxy.
Loo-Q: Clearing aisles and relieving passengersHere we present a worked example of a distributed system in action, to illustrate Leslie Lamport's rules of ordering history using logical clocks.
Clocks to the rescue!Leslie Lamport explains how he used logical clocks to set history straight in distributed systems.
High fidelityIs the Universe digital, just like the world of computers? Discuss!
Violating causalityLeslie Lamport explains how an understanding of special relativity helped him realise how to order events in computer science, and enabled the development of distributed computing.
What happens inside your computer?My view of the events taking place on my computer is very different to how a computer scientist, a engineer or a physicist would view what is happening inside the box. Leslie Lamport explains how the definition of an event distinguishes between these areas of research.
Distributed systems and ambiguous historiesOur digital lives rely on distributed computer systems, such as the network of banks that allow us to deposit cash in one place and withdraw it in another. But understanding the order of events in such systems is not always straightforward.
Outer space: Archimedean ice cream conesWhat shape of cone maximises the ice cream to wafer ratio?
The formula that plots (almost) everythingHold onto your logic hats! In this article we're going to explore one of the most amazing formulas in maths!
Maths in a minute: The binomial distributionThe probability distribution that measures success and failure.
Overbooking: How to avoid plane rageThe practice of overbooking has made uncomfortable headlines lately. But how do airlines decide how many tickets to sell for a flight? Here's the maths.
Maths in a minute: Polar coordinatesPolar coordinates are great for circles and spirals!