one-sided surface

In the first of a new series 'Imaging Maths', Plus takes an illustrated tour of an extraordinary geometric construction: the Klein bottle.

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.

How do we remember? And how quickly do we forget?

Researchers have shown that the fates of our collective memories, whether of a song, a research paper, an invention or a sports star, are all described by the same mathematical equation.
Maths in a minute: Equal temperatures

At any point in time there are two points on the Earth's equator with the same temperature.
Farewell to a legend

Sir Michael Atiyah dies aged 89.
The mother of all theories

The holy grail for 21st century physics is to produce a unified theory of everything — M-theory is a prime candidate. Find out more in this video.
Maths in a crowd

Many things in nature seem to be striving for a purpose — the carefully choreographed flocking of birds is an example. Are these birds really smart enough to follow a common goal? Find out with these articles.