Article
Editorial
- Editorial trends - According to current trends, this editorial will never get written!
- I've got your number - Soon the maths-phobic will have nowhere left to hide.
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Puzzle
Square tactics
How many squares are there on a chessboard?
Article
Mathematics for aliens
It has often been observed that mathematics is astonishingly effective as a tool for understanding the universe. But, asks Phil Wilson, why should this be? Is mathematics a universal truth, and how would we tell?
Article
101 uses of a quadratic equation: Part II
In issue 29 of Plus, we heard how a simple mathematical equation became the subject of a debate in the UK parliament. Chris Budd and Chris Sangwin continue the story of the mighty quadratic equation.
Article
Running a lottery, for beginners
There are many different types of lottery around the world, but they all share a common aim: to make money. John Haigh explains why lotteries are the way they are.
Article
How the leopard got its spots
How does the uniform ball of cells that make up an embryo differentiate to create the dramatic patterns of a zebra or leopard? How come there are spotty animals with stripy tails, but no stripy animals with spotty tails? Lewis Dartnell solves these, and other, puzzles of animal patterning.