Graham Farmelo's authorised biography of Stephen Hawking has just been published. The title of this Oxford Mathematics Roger Penrose Public Lecture is the same as the one that Hawking chose for his Lucasian Inaugural Lecture in April 1980. Graham will look at the genesis of his presentation, the splash it made and how views on the subject changed in later decades.
Graham Farmelo is a biographer and science writer. He has written an acclaimed biography of Paul Dirac as well as his biography of Stephen Hawking.
We will be holding our Annual Institute celebration on Monday 19th October 2026 from 5:00pm to approximately 7:00pm in Lecture Room 1 in the Mathematical Institute. We are pleased to announce that there will also be a talk from Professor James Maynard.
As part of the event, we will also be holding our Awards Ceremony, where we will celebrate the achievements of our students and fellow staff though the Examination Prizes and Departmental Teaching Prize Awards for the 2025 – 2026 academic year.
We are looking for Oxford Maths Ambassadors!
Ambassadors are students that make our outreach events truly welcoming and friendly, and make sure that things run smoothly. They’re pro-active and enthusiastic about Maths, and they work with us on open days, the Maths Festival, school visits, and online events like OOMC and the MAT Livestream. We pay our ambassadors Oxford Living Wage for most events.
We are really excited to present ‘Talking History of Maths’! Supported by the British Society for the History of Mathematics, this will be a set of five talks and discussions over the 2026/27 academic year. It is aimed at undergraduate mathematics or joint honours students, but anyone is welcome to take part. Each of the five sessions will take place over 90 minutes, consisting of an hour talk followed by a 30-minute discussion. They will be presented live at one university with other groups ‘Zooming in’ to watch.
Show your love for Oxford Maths with our exclusive range of branded merchandise! All of our merchandise can be bought online at the College Store with exclusive 10% discount this month.
Prelims Corner will run from 11am–12pm every Monday, outside L1, during Weeks 1–8.
It’s a great opportunity to get support from an experienced DPhil student with tricky maths problems, ask questions, or simply meet and work alongside other Prelims students.
No registration is required — feel free to drop in whenever you need, and stay for as little or as long as you like.
And, of course, free snacks will be provided! 🍪