MATHS

A Maths degree usually covers three main areas: maths, statistics, and operational research. Maths will look at the theories and proofs behind complex problems in mathematics and is interested in numbers, shapes, and space. Statistics is often driven by real world problems which rely on examining data to make predictions - this can be useful for deciding the efficacy of new healthcare treatments or business decisions. Operational relations looks at decision making procedures such as game theory and can be useful in the field of economics.

SOME INFORMATION:

Books

1089 And All That
The Calculus Story
Alex’s Adventures in Numberland
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea
To Infinity and Beyond
The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets
The Music of the Primes
The Man Who Knew Infinity
Symmetry and The Beautiful Universe
Professor Stewarts Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities
Professor Povey’s Perplexing Problems
Mathematics: Queen and Servant of Science
Mathematicians: An Outer View of an Inner World
Fermat’s Last Theorem
How to Think Like A Mathematician
Beyond Infinity
Letters to a Young Mathematician
The Mathematical Century: The 30 Greatest Problems of the Last 100 Years
Maths in 100 Key Breakthroughs
Closing the Gap: The Quest To Understand Prime Numbers
The Spirit of Mathematics
The Wonder Book of Geometry
Maths 1001

Lectures and talks

Euler’s Exponentials Lecture

TEDx Talks – Mathematics is the sense you never knew you had

University of Nottingham – Taster Lecture in Statistics

University of Nottingham – Taster Lecture in Probability

University of Cambridge – Groups Taster Lecture

University of Oxford – Multivariable Calculus Lecture

The Maths of Board Games – Gresham College Lecture

Number Theory: Queen of Mathematics – Gresham College Lecture

Podcasts

BBC Radio 4 – More or Less: Behind the Stats – DownloadsPodcast downloads for More or Less: Behind the Stats

Websites

Math News, Interviews and Columns From Quanta MagazineQuanta’s award-winning coverage of algebra, geometry, set theory, number theory, analysis, knot theory, topology, combinatorics, mathematical physics and more.

www.newscientist.com/subject/mathematics/

Competitions

Tom Rocks Maths: Essay Competition 2025This exciting competition asks students of all ages and abilities to explain their favourite mathematical topic in an essay aimed at a non-specialist audience.

National Cipher ChallengeAn annual codebreaking competition for UK schools and homeschooled students run by the School of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southampton

www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/mathsbombe/

www.bshm.ac.uk/schools-prize

Ritangle – MEIRitangle 2024 is taking place right now! Join in with the fun on our dedicated competition website. Ritangle is a…

Every year, we invite students across the UK to tackle one of our academics’ ‘big’ questions. These are designed to challenge you beyond the school curriculum and get you thinking ‘big’ about your subject and what it might be like to study it at university. Simply record a video of 5 minutes or less presenting your arguments, research, evidence and opinions.

To enter you must: live in the UK, attend a state school, be in Year 11, 12, or 13. Winners will be invited to visit Oxford where they will have the opportunity to discuss their entries with subject tutors, take a tour of the college, and enjoy lunch in the dining hall.

First Prize: £100 – Second Prize: £50 – Subject Awards: £35

How to enter:

Send us a video of no more than 5 minutes in length.
There’s no need for any fancy equipment, you can film on your phone if you like – we will be judging entries based on your engagement with the question.
Your video doesn’t have to include your face – feel free to get creative! You could narrate a PowerPoint, record yourself drawing or even apply your TikTok-making skills…
Submit your video as an unlisted YouTube video or via WeTransfer.

This was the question for 2025 – entries are now closed but visit the website to get updates for the next competition!

Maths and Science Essay Competitions — Minds UndergroundThe Minds Underground™ Maths and Science Essay Competition is open to students in Year 12. Enter Our Physics Essay Competition, Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Computer Science. The competitions provide students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argum

The Minds Underground™ STEM Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though we welcome younger applicants). We have split the Sciences into numerous scientific fields and will select a winner from each: Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Science. The competition provides students with an opportunity to attempt university-level research, hone their scientific writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to answer from their category.

The 2025 Minds Underground Essay Competition results are now live — view the full results on our Results Page. 2026 questions will be released in November 2025.

2025 Chemistry Essay Questions:

How do mathematical models shape our understanding of the natural world? Hint: Discuss the use of mathematical models in fields such as climate science, epidemiology, and physics, and consider the limitations of these models.
Is mathematics invented or discovered? Hint: Explore arguments for and against the idea of mathematics as a human construct versus an inherent part of the universe.

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