Articles

Mathematical mysteries: Kepler's conjecture

Sir Walter Raleigh is perhaps best known for laying down his cloak in the mud for Queen Elizabeth I. But, he also started a mathematical quest which to this day remains unsolved.
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Mathematics, marriage and finding somewhere to eatHow do you choose a partner? Is it an irrational choice or is it made rationally, based on a mathematical model which analyses the best potential partner you are likely to meet?
Mathematical mysteries: the Goldbach conjecture

Can every even number greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two primes? It's one of the trickiest questions in maths.
Are the polls right?The British General Election (May 1997) is an example of how simple mathematical ideas help in understanding information that involves numbers.
What mathematicians get up toAfter 5,000 years, the game of Nine Men's Morris has succumbed to the power of modern computing, plus other recent mathematical discoveries in the world of games.
Agner Krarup Erlang (1878 - 1929)The mathematics underlying today's complex telephone networks is still based on his work. Erlang was the first person to study the problem of telephone networks.
Call routing in telephone networksFind out how modern telephone networks use mathematics to make it possible for a person to dial a friend in another country just as easily as if they were in the same street, or to read web pages that are on a computer in another continent.
Testing Bernoulli: a simple experimentHere is an experiment that you can easily do yourself to test Bernoulli's equation. There are also 2 questions and answers.
Editorial
  • Allergic to mathematics?
  • The inner beauty of pure mathematics
  • A journey with mathematics
  • Staff room
Editorial

Welcome to the pilot issue!
Understanding turbulenceHave you ever been in an aeroplane on a smooth flight when suddenly the plane bumps up and down for a short time as it goes through turbulent air? The study of turbulence is used to understand a range of phenomena from the simple squirting of a jet of water to the activity of the sun.
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Student interview - Mark LangleyMark Langley, a student at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge, tells us about his experiences doing A-level Mathematics.
A practical guide to writing about anything for anyone!
A dog has eaten someone's homework

Some practical tips to help you when you need it most!

  • Maths in a minute

    Want facts and want them fast? Our Maths in a minute series explores key mathematical concepts in just a few words.

  • Climate change: How can maths help?

    As COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, kicks off we look at how maths can help understand the climate crisis.

  • The travelling salesman
    map

    How do you create dramatic film out of mathematics? We find out with writer and director Timothy Lanzone.

  • Disease modelling for beginners

    Mathematics plays a central role in understanding how infectious diseases spread. This collection of articles looks at some basic concepts in epidemiology to help you understand this fascinating and important field, and set you up for further study.

  • Maths in a minute: Conditional probability

    Find out why the formula we use to work out conditional probabilities is true!

  • A disappearing number
    scene from play
    We talk about a play that explores the fascinating mathematical collaboration between the mathematicians GH Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan.