Maths in Action

Mathematicians across the school have been enjoying some fun-filled, festive-themed Maths this week.

Lower Sixth students, Rosie and Zoe, report back on their inspiring Maths in Action day, delivered by Mathematicians, Engineers, Statisticians, Architects, Code-breakers and Data Scientists.

“Our group of dedicated Mathematicians attended a talk at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster this week to further our knowledge and interest in the subject. We had a talk from Jennifer Rodgers, an Oxford professor, about statistics where we learnt about the effect of correlation, not causation, leading to news stories about how eating cheese before bed increases the likelihood of dying in your sleep. Another particularly interesting talk was by Rob Bennett, who discussed the Bloodhound project — a project in which a group of Physicists and Mathematicians tried to beat the land speed record. Their talk demonstrated the potential practical applications of our Maths skills: how they link into Physics and can be used to make a positive impact. In South Africa, for example, where the experiment was held, the project created hundreds of jobs. Finally, Kyle Evans, a self-proclaimed guitar-playing Maths lecturer, finished the day by singing the 12 days of Christmaths, revealing a formula to work out how many presents my true love gave to me! The trip provided a stimulating and entertaining way to engage with the subject beyond our classroom learning.”

Meanwhile, the Maths Department has been engaging younger pupils at school with their popular, puzzle-themed advent calendar display.  Talia, in Year 7, has enjoyed solving every single puzzle in the run up to the holidays: “It’s been a great way to develop my maths skills – and win prizes! The puzzles are suitable for all ages, with a range of difficulty. A really fun way to improve in Maths.”