Collections

  • package

    Happy birthday, George Boole!

    Modern computers wouldn't be possible without George Boole, who died before light bulbs even came on the market. We celebrate his 200th birthday with a look at the man and his work.
  • package

    What is information?

    These articles introduce some of the question posed by the concept of information and its role in different areas of science and philosophy.
  • package

    Science fiction, science fact: reports from the frontiers of physics

    What is time? What is space? Are there parallel universes? Join Plus and FQXi on a journey exploring these and many more questions on the frontiers of physics. What do you think is science fiction and what do you think we close to proving are science facts? Find out more about scientific developments in these areas, ask your own questions and debate the answers!
  • package

    Latest news from the ICM 2010

    Journey to the frontiers of maths with Plus as we cover the International Congress of Mathematics in Hyderabad, India
  • package

    Teacher package: Proofs

    The notion of proof lies at the very heart of maths: it's when it comes to proving things that mathematicians let lose their genius and creativity, and in the process often discover unexpected surprises or deep philosophical issues. But proofs can also be daunting. So to help you and your students along, we've brought together a range of Plus articles on proofs.
  • package

    Teacher package: Graphs and networks

    This teacher package brings together all Plus articles on graph and network theory. Graphs and networks turn up in many real-life problems, from neuroscience to telecommunications. In the UK curriculum, they make a frequent appearance in the area known as decision maths. Our articles explore a wide range of related topics, from simple algorithms to complex network topologies.
  • package

    Teacher package: On thin ice - maths and climate change in the Arctic

    In this issue's teacher package we look at some of the maths and science behind a recent expedition to the Arctic. The aim of the Catlin Arctic Survey was to gather data on ice thickness that will help to predict when the North Pole sea ice cover will melt, an event that will have dramatic consequence for the Arctic ecosystem and the Earth's climate as a whole. Plus was commissioned by Catlin Arctic Survey Education to produce mathematics and science enrichment material for ages 14 to 19 (key stages 4 and 5). The toolkits look at climate and sea ice models, GPS and cartography, how to predict future climate trends, and how to present statistical evidence.
  • package

    Teacher package: Prime numbers

    So basic, yet so tricky: prime numbers are the atoms among natural numbers and lie at the centre of some of the most difficult open problems in maths. This package brings together all material we have on primes, from prime number algorithms to new discoveries. And you will find out what all that's got to do with David Beckham.
  • package

    Teacher package: Group theory

    This issue's teacher package brings together all Plus articles on group theory, exploring its applications and recent breakthroughs, and giving explicit definitions and examples of groups. It also has some handy links to related problems on our sister site NRICH.
  • package

    Teacher package: Vectors and matrices

    This issue's teacher package brings together all Plus articles on vectors and matrices, exploring anything from the maths of computer movies to climate change. It also has some handy links to related problems on our sister site NRICH.