You may be interested to learn that the Penrose aperiodic tiling, our gorgeous greeting each morning we come to work, comprising two tiles, has now been surpassed, or perhaps undercut is the better way of describing it.
In a new paper, David Smith, Joseph Myers, Chaim Goodman-Strauss and Craig S. Kaplan prove that a polykite that they call "the hat" is an aperiodic monotile, AKA an einstein. They are down to 1.
The MPLS Divisional Teaching Award Scheme celebrates success, and recognises innovation and/or leadership in teaching. Awards are available to all those who teach, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and learning support staff. The Teaching Award Scheme is administered by the MPLS Divisional Office and awards are made, on merit, across the departments by a cross-departmental panel chaired by the Associate Head of Division (Education). The awards will be celebrated at the end of Trinity Term 2023.
If you have written or edited a new book, please let me know (@email) and we can promote.
David Acheson has done just that with The Spirit of Mathematics - Algebra and all that, and it's Oxford Alumni's book of the week no less.
Hilbert's 16th Problem and Mathematical Chemistry - Radek Erban
Leaping beetles inspire miniature jumping robots - Dominic Vella and Mingchao Liu (now University of Birmingham)
Sometimes it seems the whole year is one long flag day, but let's not be churlish, so next Tuesday is Pi day (3/14 depending on where you live or how you do calendars) and we are celebrating with, er, a couple of pies.
And look out for a special vegan/vegetarian week in the cafe in the first week of next term.
We were very sorry to hear of the death, at the age of 78, of architect Rafael Viñoly. Among Rafael's vast portfolio of work is our own Andrew Wiles Building which opened almost ten years ago in October 2013 and which has been an integral part of our work in making mathematics accessible and enjoyable for our faculty, researchers, students, support staff and the wider general public.
Work continues apace for our new neighbour, the Schwarzman Building. The main piling works - 537 piles using 4142.6m3 of concrete - will complete ahead of schedule by the end of next week. Works will continue to break out the tops of the piles and apply the capping beam to tie them all together.
The first tower crane is expected to be delivered and built on the weekend of 15th and 16th April (or possibly one of the two following weekends). The big dig out of the basement will also commence in April.