Mathematical Institute Bulletin

Congratulations to Josh who won the award from a shortlist of five. This category recognises researchers at the early stages of their careers who've made a significant impact at Oxford University.

Abhishek Rajput, PDRA in Quantum Information and Computation, Mathematical Physics: S1.18

Ali Khan, Senior Development Executive (maternity cover): S0.37

A warm welcome.

Two Stipendiary Lecturers in Mathematics at Exeter College

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Infectious Disease Modelling

Image: Lizzie Siddal - Lovers listening to music

Some of the latest books added to the library in the image below:

Full list

Skittles may count more towards your 'none a day' than your 'five a day', but they are excellent nutrition for peckish mathematicians. Or rather, picky mathematicians. James Munro has their number. 

Two million views and counting.

Professor Po-Ling Loh, University of Cambridge - Differentially private M-estimation via noisy optimization

Thursday 29th May, 3.15 pm - 4.30 pm

L2, Mathematical Institute, Andrew Wiles Building

Please note, a drinks reception will be held in the ground floor social area, Department of Statistics, 24-29 St Giles.

Register

Image: George Scharf - Florence Nightingale

The Erlangen AI Hub Conference will bring together leading minds from across the UK’s mathematical, algorithmic and computational communities to advance the application of pure mathematics in AI. 

9-11 June 2025

Maths Building, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS  

Registration deadline: 23 May 2025 (12 noon). Link above. 

Image: Leonardo da Vinci - Study of Arms

This year, the Talking Maths in Public conference will take place at the University of Warwick and online, on Thursday 28th - Saturday 30th August. TMiP is a biannual meeting for people who communicate maths in a variety of forms, from professional outreach providers to people who deliver maths enrichment activities alongside their work. 

Tickets cost just £140 and include all conference sessions, refreshments during all three days and the conference dinner. The event is fully hybrid, and remote tickets cost £30. There is also a bursary scheme.

For more information, visit the website.

Image: Paul Nash - Promenade II

Present your research in just three minutes to win a prize. Oxford’s local SIAM-IMA student chapter invites you to give a three minute talk with the aid of a single slide aimed at a non-specialist audience. This competition is open to ALL research students in the Mathematical Institute, in both pure and applied mathematics.

The three minute thesis competition is taking place in-person in L1 in Week 5 on Friday 30th May, as part of the Fridays@4 series. To apply, please fill in this form: (or QR code on poster) by Wednesday Week 5 (27th May).

To celebrate British Sandwich Week (19–25 May), we’re introducing a special baguette in the Café: 

The Coronation Chicken Baguette.

The Ipcress File movie is 60 years old this year. This spy film's theme tune was written by James Bond composer John Barry and it has a feel which, in comparison to the Bond movies, matches the more gritty style of 'Ipcress'. 

The film was based on the 1962 novel by Len Deighton (who is going strong aged 96). Deighton wrote cook books as well as spy and historical novels, and his main character, played by Michael Caine, whips up a neat omelette in the movie. Apparently Caine couldn't break an egg with one hand so it is Deighton's hands you see in the movie. It's a great film. And it's a great soundtrack.

And for those of you who like Song of the Week here's a full list