Latest news

Our successful Public Lectures are now podcasted live. For details of the two lectures in May please follow the links.

Tim Palmer - The Butterfly Effect - what does it really signify' 5pm, 9 May

Marcus du Sautoy - The Sound of Symmetry and the Symmetry of Sound 5pm, 11 May

More information about our Public Lectures past and present and posters for all of them can be found here.

The Andrew Wiles Building, our home here in Oxford, is very much a public space with its large exhibition and conference facilities and public cafe. We have hosted theatrical productions, most recently Creation Theatre's stark production of Orwell's '1984' and in particular we have provided an outlet for artists and photographers to display their work.

Yet we are of course primarily a mathematics building - mathematics and mathematicians are evident everywhere you go from Roger Penrose's tiling at the entrance to the mathematical-shaped crystals at the heart of the building. 

Our latest exhibition, Sculptor Willow Winston's 'In Praise of Plato' represents all those elements. An artistic exploration of symmetry, it is a marriage of mathematics and art in a public setting. In Willow's own words "experimenting with geometrical form fabricated in metals, much based on work I have done with Plato's Perfect Solids, I use reflective materials allowing a union between real and virtual worlds, enhancing our ability to climb into the imagination. "

The exhibition, in the Mezzanine space of the Andrew Wiles Building, is open from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and runs until 21 May. 

The British Applied Mathematics Colloquium (BAMC), held this year at the University of Surrey, has awarded its two talk prizes to Oxford Mathematicians Jessica Williams and Graham Benham. Their colleague in Oxford Mathematics Ian Roper won the poster prize. All three are part of the Industrially Focused Mathematical Modelling Centre for Doctoral Training (InFoMM) a partnership between EPSRC, the University of Oxford, and a large number of industry partners.

Oxford Mathematician Doireann O'Kiely has been awarded the biennial Lighthill-Thwaites Prize for her work on the production of thin glass sheets. The prize is awarded by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications to researchers who have spent no more than five years in full-time study or work since completing their undergraduate degrees. Oxford Mathematicians Nabil Fadai and Zachary Wilmott were also among the five finalists. The prize was presented at the British Applied Mathematics Colloquium on Tuesday 11 April.

Doireann's work focuses on mathematical modelling of real-world systems, primarily in fluid mechanics.  She conducted her study of the production of thin glass sheets via the redraw process in collaboration with Schott AG.

Oxford Mathematician James Grogan has won Gold for Mathematics at STEM for Britain, a poster competition and exhibition for early career researchers held at the Houses of Parliament on 13 March 2017. James's poster and work is focused on understanding tumour development and treatment.

Around 150 researchers presented at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for Britain this year, including 5 Oxford Mathematicians – James (of course), Lucy Hutchinson, Christoph Siebenbrunner, Edward Rolls and Ben Sloman. 

STEM is an acronym that means a lot to those in the know and probably nothing to the vast majority of the population. However, STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are where it is at, at least in so far as any nation wanting to improve human wealth and welfare has to have a rich talent in those subjects.

To encourage that talent every year parliament hosts STEM for Britain, a poster competition and exhibition for early career researchers Around 150 researchers are presenting this year and they include 5 Oxford Mathematicians – James Grogan, Lucy Hutchinson, Christoph Siebenbrunner, Edward Rolls and Ben Sloman. James and Lucy's work is focussed on understanding tumour development and treatment while Edward also works in mathematical biology. Christoph studies risks to the stability of the financial system and Ben works on modelling thermal and chemical effects in silicon production. All five will present posters at the Event on Monday 13 March at the House of Commons where over 100 parliamentarians are expected. STEM may be a curious acronym, but a lot rests on it.

Oxford Mathematics and Computer Science Undergraduate Andreea Marzoca has become joint winner of the The WCIT University IT Awards 2017. The awards recognise outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate IT students within the UK, and were created in 2015 by The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Charity (WCIT Charity). Criteria for the award included academic excellence, overcoming adversity, entrepreneurial skills and contribution to charity or community. Andreea, and joint winner Joanna Joss (of Brunel University, London) are the first female winners of this award. 

Andreea is a 3rd year undergraduate studying Maths and Computer Science. She is also Vice President of OxWoCS (Oxford Women in Computer Science). Andreea received her award along with the other finalists at the WCIT 95th Business Lunch, held at the Saddlers’ Hall in the City of London, where the students also had the opportunity to network with high-ranking IT professionals from all around the UK. Each finalist was presented with a cheque and certificate by the City of London Alderman Sheriff, Peter Estlin.

Oxford Mathematician Nick Trefethen FRS has been awarded the prestigious George Pólya Prize by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). The Prize for Mathematical Exposition, established in 2013, is awarded every two years to an outstanding expositor of the mathematical sciences.

Nick Trefethen is Professor of Numerical Analysis, University of Oxford, Fellow of Balliol College & Global Distinguished Professor, New York University. He is Head of Oxford Mathematics' Numerical Analysis Group. He is known for a succession of influential textbooks and monographs related to numerical mathematics, most recently 'Approximation Theory and Approximation Practice' which appeared in 2013. His next book will explore Ordinary Differential Equations.

Oxford Mathematician Philip Maini has been awarded the Arthur T. Winfree Prize by the Society of Mathematical Biology for his work on mathematical modelling of spatiotemporal processes in biology and medicine. In the words of the citation Philip's work "has led to significant scientific advances not only in mathematics, but also in biology and the biomedical sciences. His mathematical oncology research has provided detailed insight into the design of combination cancer therapies."

Philip will receive his award at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Society, to be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City from July 17-20, 2017.

Oxford Mathematician and Computer Scientist Ursula Martin has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, joining over 1600 current fellows drawn from a wide range of disciplines – science & technology, arts, humanities, social science, business and public service.

Ursula's career has taken in Cambridge and Warwick and included spells across the Atlantic as well as recently at Queen Mary, University of London. From 1992 to 2002, she was Professor of Computer Science at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, the first female professor at the University since its foundation in 1411. Her work around theoretical Computer Science is accompanied by a passionate commitment to advancing the cause of women in science. She has also been a leading light in the recent study and promotion of the life and work of Victorian Mathematician Ada Lovelace and has been instrumental in examining and explaining Ada's mathematics as well as promoting her achievements as a woman.