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. From symmetry to Euclid's axioms, and from binary numbers to the prosecutor's fallacy, learn some maths without too much effort.

Maths in a minute: Poincaré and the beginnings of chaos
How a maths competition spawned the foundations of chaos theory.
Maths in a minute: The golden ratio
A quick introduction to a famous number.
Maths in a minute: Penguins
We can't let penguin awareness day pass without a look at some penguin maths.
Maths in a minute: The graph isomorphism problem
How fast can you tell whether two networks are the same?
Maths in a minute: The catenary
Chains, arches and Wembley Stadium.
Maths in a minute: Fourier series
matches
How the heat equation inspired the maths that powers the entertainment industry.
Maths in a minute: Maths and navigation
How the need to locate your location at sea led to some interesting mathematics.
Maths in a minute: The square root of 2 is irrational
icon

Here's one of the most elegant proofs in all of maths. Rejoice in its simplicity!
Maths in a minute: Maths and communication
A quick look at the role of mathematics in communication — from making and breaking codes to making sure messages arrive intact.
Maths in a minute: False positives
Why a positive test result doesn't necessarily mean you have the disease.
Maths in a minute: How many primes?
Here's the ancient proof that there are infinitely many prime numbers.
Maths in a minute: The prosecutor's fallacy
justice
Why a DNA match doesn't necessarily prove your guilt.