IMA Fiftieth Anniversary Event at the Royal Institution


London on Tuesday 7 October 2014

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IMA Ri

Event Description

The IMA celebrates 50 years in 2014 and, as part of its anniversary programme, is delighted to hold this inspirational mathematical event which is organised together with the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Dame Celia Hoyles, IMA President, will welcome attendees and chair the programme.

The talks will be followed by a reception with drinks, canapés and an opportunity to see some of the Ri’s incredible collections with the Curator of Collections, Charlotte New.  Tickets need to be ordered separately for the reception and the programme of talks.

Event Programme

16:40

Registration  (Event ticket required)

17:00 Vision for Science and Mathematics Education Dame Julia Higgins FREng, FRS,
Former Vice-President, The Royal Society
17:20 Big Data Richard Pinch, IMA Vice-President,
Professional Affairs and Industry
17:45 The Mathematics Manifesto (First Draft) Paul Glendinning, IMA Vice-President, Learned Society
18.15 Tea and Coffee Break
18:35 Mathematics at the Ri Diane Crann, Ri Clothworkers’ Fellow in Mathematics
18:40 Eight Great Reasons to do Maths Chris Budd, IMA Vice-President,
Communications and Royal Institution Professor of Mathematics
19:25 The IMA Today and Tomorrow Dame Celia Hoyles,
IMA President
19:35-21:00

Evening Reception (Reception ticket required)

Programme of Talks – Abstracts

The Mathematics Manifesto (First Draft)
Paul Glendinning, IMA Vice-President, Learned Society

I will discuss how mathematics interacts with society more broadly and how this feeds back into mathematics. This leads to a (personal) ‘mathematics manifesto’ — I will encourage the audience to think about their own experience of mathematics too.

Vision for Science and Maths Education
Dame Julia Higgins, Chair, Education Committee of the Royal Society

The Royal Society has recently published its “Vision” report on science and maths education from age 5 to 18, calling for an education system to be in place within twenty years which can deliver scientifically literate and mathematically competent citizens.  The report addresses a number of key issues:- that all young people should study maths and science to the age of eighteen, within a baccalaureate style framework in an education system where curriculum and assessment are stabilised and fit for purpose, teachers have a high professional status and there is a strong supply of science and maths specialists who are trusted to carry out assessment of their pupils.  These high status specialist teachers should be welcomed and supported by the wider science and maths community.  In delivering the changes necessary to achieve an education system fit for purpose, the Learned Societies will be key players.  The Mathematical Societies for example will need to embrace and support subject specialist teachers and to be closely involved in the development of stable and appropriate curricula.

Big Data
Richard Pinch, IMA Vice-President, Professional Affairs and Industry

The management and analysis of very large data sets and streams (“Big Data”) is an integral part of modern commerce and government: the volumes of data are increasing dramatically and the nature of the data is changing.  In this talk I will describe how novel mathematical techniques are being developed and applied to meet the Big Data challenge, describe some successes, and outline challenges for mathematics and mathematicians that will arise in the near future.

Published