Mathematical Institute | Mathematical Institute

The Vicky Neale Public Lecture

Join science writer Simon Singh on a whistle-stop tour through two decades of his bestselling books. 'Fermat’s Last Theorem' looks at one of the biggest mathematical puzzles of the millennium; 'The Code Book' shares the secrets of cryptology; 'Big Bang' explores the history of cosmology; 'Trick or Treatment' asks some hard questions about alternative medicine; and 'The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets' explains how TV writers, throughout the show’s 35-year history, have smuggled in mathematical jokes.

Folding in tension - a case study by Marc Suñé

When compressed along its longest dimension, a thin structure such as a playing card collapses into a bent shape that accommodates the imposed compression without a significant change of length. This phenomenon of buckling under compression is ubiquitous in structural mechanics: bridges, marine vessels, and aerospace structures all risk failure due to buckling. Buckling is also widespread in nature: microtubules buckle within the cytoplasm and plant stems bend under their own weight.

Watts and Wipe-outs: the Science of Timing a Crash-Free Breakaway in the Tour de France

Cycling is a sport where victory often hinges on marginal gains. In elite races like the Tour de France, while power output and aerodynamics are well-known performance factors another crucial, but less visible, element is risk. A crash, even if minor, can end a rider’s race. Can mathematics help optimise racing strategies in a world where both energy and safety must be balanced?

3 students working on maths on a glass board

view across the Penrose paving towards Woodstock Road

view across the south wing major atrium staircases

coffee cup on a whiteboard table with mathematical writing

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Mathematicians seek truth, beauty and elegance, in mathematics itself and in our work with researchers studying fundamental questions in a host of other disciplines. We pursue excellence in all aspects of research, teaching and the communication of mathematics.

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