The talks listed on this page are related to mathematics, science or the work of the Institute in some way.
They are provided for your convenience only, the Institute and the authors do not accept any responsibility for the contents.

Mathematics in Engineering

Jaguar Target Tracking

'101 uses of a quadratic equation'
Students, parents, politicians and some teachers often ask, what's the use of learning about abstract maths such as quadratic equations. In this talk I show that quadratic equations have played a pivotal role in the development of human civilisation and are vital to modern technology.

'How maths can make you rich and famous'
I'll show you how you can become rich and famous by cracking hard maths problems. These include learning how to organise the perfect party and how (or not) to predict the weather.

'Dancing with mathematics'
Symmetry is all around us, and is the basis of much of our art and music. In this talk I'll introduce you to the maths of symmetry. We will then show how the same maths can be used to construct some dances. With the aid of music, the talk will evolve into a dancing session.

News from The Millenium Maths Project - filmed lectures online

Some of the past talks from our popular public and schools lecture series have been filmed by Cambridge University Science Productions and are now available to watch online.

'Chaos and Fractals: Predicting the Unpredictable'
Professor Michael Thompson
Mathematicians, working with physicists, biologists and engineers, have created a new science for the complexities of nature. Chaos Theory shows that systems obeying precise deterministic laws can act in unpredictable ways. By pointing to hidden laws, it can uncover order where formerly only erratic behaviour had been observed. Chaos cuts across traditional scientific disciplines, unifying the turbulent flow of fluids, irregularities of the heartbeat and the swirls of desert dunes. Its new kind of mathematics explains the butterfly effect that bedevils accurate weather forecasting, reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, gaps in the asteroid belt, growth of insect populations, oscillations of electronic circuits, capsize of ships, and the efficient manoeuvering of space-craft.
This talk, which covered a great deal of ground, used pictures, demonstrations and videos to give a whistlestop tour of chaos theory at work. (Level: General Public, suggested age range 17/18+).

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