Can we talk maths in public and get away with it? Chris Budd

1. Can we talk maths in public and get away with it? Chris Budd

2. A common scenario You meet someone at a party and (foolishly) Tell them you are a mathematician • Their immediate reaction is to … • Panic • Leave quickly • Tell you that .. • Mathematics is completely useless • Mathematicians are souless geeks • All mathematicians are mad!

3. In response you can … • Deny that you are a mathematician • Not go to any more parties • Agree that mathematicians are evil • or …. Say that • The modern world would not exist without maths • With maths you can save lives • Maths lies at the heart of art and music • Mathematicians organise great parties

4. We don’t just need to do this at parties! Most people don’t realise how important maths is! • It is essential that we convince others otherwise we will have no funding and no students!!! • Young people and their parents and teachers • Politicians and industry • Research Councils!!!! Talk will: provide some motivation, describe some activities and indicate how you can get involved

5. So .. How do we get the message across that maths is important, fun, beautiful, powerful, challenging, all around us and central to civilisation? • Why is it so hard to do this? • What maths can we tell everyone about? • What is being done? • What works? • How can you get involved?

6. Let’s face it part of the problem is obvious … • Maths genuinely is hard and requires thought • The media often makes fun of maths or simply doesn’t understand it! • Maths isn’t as easy to talk about as sex and violence (see later) • Mathematicians have often been our own worst enemies, thinking that maths is best kept as useless as possible and communicating its power is a poor substitute for proving theorems … • the RAF and HODs often support this view!

7. Things that I have found to have worked • Starting with an application relevant to everyone’s lives and then showing the maths involved • Surprising your audience! …. Maths is magic! • Linking maths to real people … all maths was invented by someone! • Not being afraid to show the audience a real formula!!! • Using techniques from stand up comedians!

8. Example one: Why maths is useful! Ways that maths has changed the modern world Maxwell: Electromagnetism … radio, TV, radar, mobile phones Google Galois Matrices, eigenvalues Error correcting codes

9. Mathematicians invented the computer

11. Navier-Stokes equations Weather forecasting

12. Example 2: Mathematicians save lives! Florence Nightingale Radon 1917

13. Mathematics can look inside you Modern CAT scanner CAT scanners work by casting many shadows with X-rays and using maths to assemble these into a picture: Sudoku Also used to X-ray mummies Detect land mines

14. Example 3: Mathematicians have soul Some musical notes sound better when played together than others The octave C to C The notes C and G (a perfect 5th) The notes C and F (a perfect 4th) The notes C and E (a major 3rd)

15. Reason was discovered by Pythagoras Length of strings giving C and G, C and E, C and F were in simple fractional proportions C:C … 2/1 C:G … 3/2 C:F … 4/3 C:E … 5/4

16. Pythagoras invented the Just Diatonic Scale .. Sequence of notes with frequencies in simple fractional proportions

17. Problem: Keyboard instruments could only be tuned for one key Mathematicians invented a new Well Tempered scale with all note frequencies in the same proportion a geometric progression ratio: which works well in all keys … J.S. Bach

18. What is being done?

19. Mathematicians can be great communicators and it is possible to communicate a lot of good maths without getting sunk in technicalities • Some examples of maths champions: • Christopher Zeeman … Books, radio, TV, RI • Ian Stewart … Books, radio, TV, RI • Marcus du Sautoy … Books, radio, TV, RI, fashion .. • Dr Maths .. News column, Maths in the Mall • Kjartan Poskitt .. Murderous maths • Robin Wilson .. Books, radio, talks • David Acheson .. Books and talks • Rob Eastaway .. Books, puzzles, shows • David Spiegelhalter .. Risk show, talks, media

20. Maths Masterclasses .. How everyone can get involved RI Classes founded by Christopher Zeeman • Saturday morning classes for young people • Mixture of talk and workshops • Based in a university, linked to local schools • Huge variety of topics eg. Mazes*, codes*, deep sea diving, dancing • * Involve sex and violence!

21. Other ways to get involved • Direct engagement with schools .. Widening participation • MOTIVATE video conferences • Writing text books • INTERNET … Plus Maths, Cipher Challenge, MMP, NRICH • Maths Inspiration • (Rob Eastaway)

22. Science fairs Traditionally maths is under represented at fairs Eg. Cheltenham .. Only one maths event! But the British Science Festival now has a number of maths events .. 2009 Maths of Origami Bath Taps Into Science … 1/3 of exhibits are maths

23. Involving Undergraduates • Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme UAS: Simon Singh • Bath ‘Maths Communicators’: • 15 Students do a Masterclass, take part in Bath Taps, take a school lesson and do a written activity • All for degree credit • MMG, HE-STEM

24. What works? Almost anything, provided it is done with energy, enthusiasm and commitment

25. What doesn’t • Being too technical .. Steer clear of Sobolev spaces • Not being technical enough .. Don’t be afraid to stretch and challenge your audience .. Young people love puzzles • Talking about it rather than doing it Just do it .. If you’re not doing it then you’re not doing it!

26. How to get involved .. Basically just go for it .. It’s great fun and brings great rewards • Some organisations to team up with • HE-STEM … Michael Grove • RI : Maths Masterclasses … Sara Santos • MMP/MOTIVATE … Jenny Gage • STEMNET • LMS (Holgate),IMA(Popular lecturers) • Or come to the IMA Conference in June and take part in the factor