Plus.Maths.org
mathematics in sport
This is the second part of our new column on risk and uncertainty. David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, continues examining league tables using the Premier League as an example. Find out just how much — or how little — these simple rankings can tell you.
Travel, money, meeting new people, living in new cultures, and a whole lot of sport — that's where maths has lead Jamie Clarke, an IT project manager who specialises in international sport projects such as the recent Winter Olympics in Torino. Jamie tells Plus how he went from engineering to the Olympics.
Learn about the aerodynamics of footballs and perfect your free kick.
- Plus new writers award - Maths is the language of the universe, so what have you got to say?
- Reader's corner - 6174 and other mysterious numbers.
- World Cup maths - How Plus can help you with your football.
A mathematical improbability in the Third Round of the FA Cup could have upset the Premiership sides.
What tactics should a soccer player use when taking a penalty kick? And what can the goalkeeper do to foil his plans? John Haigh uses Game Theory to find the answers, and looks at his World Cup predictions from last issue.