In times of inflation - and there is a lot of it around just now - companies like to avoid price hikes. A favourite tactic is to reduce product size while keeping the price the same. But do you know how the maths works?
James Munro explains the mathematical cunning of shrinkflation, the first in a series of (very) short films about numeracy, a skill we all need to navigate our way around the world, but which we perhaps take for granted.
You can watch the video below and also tune in to our YouTube Channel for a range of student lectures, Public Lectures and short films.
Oxford Mathematician Artur Ekert has been awarded the Milner Award and Lecture by the Royal Society for "pioneering contributions to quantum communication and computation, which transformed the field of quantum information science from a niche academic activity into a vibrant interdisciplinary field of industrial relevance."
Professor Ekert said: "Unearthing the connections between cryptography and the foundations of quantum theory has been a captivating journey and it is very gratifying to have my work recognised. Quantum theory has undeniably unlocked numerous novel ways to understand and harness nature, including information, and I am excited to see what developments unfold over the near future."
Artur Ekert is a pioneer in the field of quantum information science, playing a leading role in transforming this field from a relatively obscure area of study into a vibrant, interdisciplinary arena of research. His invention of entanglement-based quantum cryptography forged connections between the foundations of quantum physics and secure communication. This led to a surge in research activity worldwide, and it continues to inspire new research directions.
In addition to his celebrated discovery that Bell's inequalities can be used for eavesdropping detection, Ekert has made numerous significant contributions to the theoretical foundations and experimental realisations of quantum communication and computation. These include his pioneering research on the universality of quantum logic gates, the development of the first methods for stabilising and protecting quantum operations, elucidation of the unifying structure of quantum algorithms, and the proposal of one of the first practical designs for quantum computation, among other achievements.
Artur adds: "the field of quantum technology is in a state of overdrive. Academia, industry, government agencies, spooks, journalists, and even my neighbour’s dog (trust me, it's an exceptionally bright dog) are completely enamoured with quantum computers and similar concepts. This social phenomenon fascinates me no end. Indeed, quantum theory has undeniably unlocked numerous novel ways to understand and harness nature, including information.
But what if, perchance, the theory is eventually refuted—for instance, if some unexpected, fundamental limitation thwarts attempts to build a scalable quantum computer? I would be absolutely thrilled to see that unfold! Such a development is, by all means, the most exciting prospect. It would not only instigate a revision of our fundamental understanding of the laws of physics but might also reveal new, potentially even more captivating types of computation. Because if something puts a halt to quantum mechanics, we should anticipate an intriguing new 'whatever-halts-quantum-mechanics' theory, followed by equally exciting 'whatever-halts-quantum-computers' computers."
Artur Ekert was born in Wroclaw, Poland and studied physics at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow and at the University of Oxford. He is a professor of quantum physics in Oxford, a fellow of Merton College and Lee Kong Chian Centennial Professor at the National University of Singapore and founding director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) in Singapore. In addition to his many achievements listed above, Artur has also explored the connections between mathematical proofs and the laws of physics in his writings, as well as authored several popular articles on the history of science. Beyond academia, Ekert is a scuba diving instructor and an enthusiastic aviator, harbouring a special fondness for South African wine.
Oxford Mathematics Public Lecture - Four Ways of Thinking: Statistical, Interactive, Chaotic and Complex - David Sumpter
Mathematics is about finding better ways of reasoning. But for many applied mathematicians, the primary mission is to shape their minds in a way that gets them closer to the truth. The calculations are secondary, the real question is: how we can better understand the world around us?
David will take us on a journey through applied mathematics from statistics all the way to complexity theory, lifting examples from his work with football clubs - signing the best players (statistical thinking) or organising an attack (complex thinking) - and from every day life - bickering less with our partners (interactive thinking) and learning to let go (chaotic thinking). David reimagines applied mathematics as a set of tools for life, from big work decisions to how we treat our friends, family and work colleagues. No problem is too big or too small for a mathematical solution.
Professor David Sumpter is author of five books including Soccermatics (2016), Outnumbered (2018) and Four Ways of Thinking (2023). His research covers everything from the inner workings of fish schools and ant colonies, through social psychology and segregation in society, to machine learning and artificial intelligence. He has consulted for leading football clubs and national teams and has written for The Economist 1843, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Prospect and FourFourTwo magazine.
5-6pm Wednesday 13 September 2023 Andrew Wiles Building, Mathematical Institute, Oxford
Alison Etheridge has been awarded the 2023 IMA–LMS David Crighton Medal for servies to mathematics and the mathematical community.
As well as acknowledging her mathematical excellence, the citation describes how "Alison has played an active role in encouraging women in mathematics. She has provided excellent guidance and mentoring to female PhD students and junior colleagues, who now have successful careers in their own right. By sharing her experiences, about her research and career path, she has shown how she balanced her career and family life, providing suggestions on how partners of women in mathematics and employers, can be supportive of them."
Alison is Professor of Probability in Oxford, having worked at the Universities of Cambridge, Berkeley, Edinburgh and Queen Mary University London before returning to Oxford. Her interests have ranged from abstract mathematical problems to concrete applications with her recent work focused on mathematical modelling of population genetics. She was Head of the Department of Statistics in Oxford until August 2022.
The David Crighton Medal was established by the Councils of the LMS and IMA in 2002 in order to pay tribute to the memory of Professor David George Crighton FRS for services both to mathematics and to the mathematical community.
To celebrate, here is his contribution to our 'When did you know it was Maths?' films, in which he explains how he was very nearly lost to medicine.
The 'When did you know it was Maths?' films are stories of mathematical epiphanies and gradual dawns from our students and researchers as they describe how they came to be mathematicians. You can watch more in the series via our YouTube Channel along with over 80 student lectures and many public lectures.
The date: 1970s. The location: Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt, Northern Ireland. The action: a mathematics lesson. The talent: a young Philip Maini. The story so far: a long explanation of an oscillating pendulum...
The latest in our series ' When did you know it was Maths', stories of mathematical epiphanies and gradual dawns from our students and researchers as they describe how they came to be mathematicians. You can watch more in the series via our YouTube Channel along with over 80 student lectures and many public lectures.
"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone."
Not every mathematical epiphany, the moment you decide you love maths, happens when you are young. In our second 'When did you know it was Maths' film, Kate Wenqi describes leaving maths for a career in finance, only to return when the stress was becoming too much.
'When did you know it was Maths?' is our summer series of short films where our Oxford Mathematicians, from students to professors, describe the moment when they knew they wanted to pursue mathematics. If there was such a moment. For some it was a slower burn.
A mathematical epiphany. Introducing our new summer series: 'When did you know it was Maths?', starring Oxford Mathematicians and a simple plot: students, researchers and professors reveal the moment when they knew that it was maths for them.
Of course, an epiphany is not always the case. For some people it is a slow dawning. some might not even be sure. And, as one member of Oxford Mathematics pointed out, you may not even consider yourself a mathematician. In his case, he said, he saw himself not as a mathematician, but as a scientist.
Six Oxford Mathematicians and their collaborators have been awarded Frontiers of Science Awards for their respective research papers at the inaugural International Congress of Basic Science Conference which is taking place in Beijing, China, this week.
For the 2023 selection, scientific works in both basic and applied research were chosen in 34 areas of the three basic science fields (mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information sciences). Each winning paper receives a prize of $25,000. The full list of winners is here
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Category: Mathematical Logic, Foundations and Category Theory
Paper and Oxford author: Ax-Schanuel for Shimura varieties - Jonathan Pila
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Number Theory
On the Duffin-Schaeffer conjecture - James Maynard
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Algebraic and Geometric Topology
On property (T) for Aut(Fn) and SLn(Z) - Dawid Kielak
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Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computation
The AAA Algorithm for Rational Approximation - Yuji Nakatsukasa and Nick Trefethen
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Lie Theory and Representation Theory
Wick rotation and the positivity of energy in quantum field theory - Graeme Segal
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Photo: clockwise from top left; Nick, Jonathan, Graeme, James, Dawid, Yuji
Imagination is the creative force for artists. But what about mathematicians and scientists? What part does imagination play in their work? What do the artist and the scientist have in common? And how do each envision things that will never be seen?
In this panel discussion two scientists and one artist, all leaders in their field, will provide an answer. They have more in common than you would think.
Nobel-prize winning scientist Roger Penrose is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor in Oxford. Carlo Rovelli is a Professor in the Centre de Physique Théorique de Luminy of Aix-Marseille Université and the author of several popular-science books including 'Seven Brief Lesson on Physics'. Conrad Shawcross is an artist specialising in mechanical sculptures based on philosophical and scientific ideas. His exhibition, 'Cascading Principles' is currently showing in the Mathematical Institute.
The discussion will be chaired by curator and writer Fatos Ustek, curator of the 'Cascading Principles' exhibition.
There will be an opportunity to view the exhibition from 4pm on the day of the lecture.
5pm, Thursday 27 July 2023, Mathematical Institute, Oxford (and on our YouTube Channel three weeks later)
