There is a widespread perception that mathematics is inaccessible, and ultimately boring. Just mentioning it can cause a negative reaction in people, as many mathematicians witness at any social event when the dreaded question arrives: “what is your job?” For many people, school maths lessons are the time when any interest in the subject turns […] … learn more→

Albert Einstein supposedly once said: “No one can win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn’t looking.” Although I wouldn’t normally question Einstein, this statement isn’t true. In fact, you can use Einstein’s specialist subject, physics, to help you win. Or you can find a biased wheel that makes […] … learn more→

Half of primary schools in England will receive £41m over four years to teach mathematics using a method called the “mastery approach” that is used in Chinese schools. Yet during the last ten years many primary schools in England have started embracing another method, called the “mindset approach”, which is supported by 30 years of […] … learn more→

There’s a popular myth that Alfred Nobel had wanted to create a prize for mathematics but didn’t want his love rival, the Swedish mathematician Gosta Mittag-Leffler, to win and so scrapped the idea. There’s no evidence for this persistent rumour so we have to assume the reason there’s no Nobel Prize for maths is because […] … learn more→