TV professor adds a little magic to maths (From Oxford Mail)

TV professor adds a little magic to maths

THE magic of maths was on show at a series of events aimed at making the subject more popular.

TV professor adds a little magic to maths

Ten pupils from the Cherwell School in Oxford, along with 40 from four other schools, met Oxford University’s Prof Marcus du Sautoy and played interactive games, including giant Monopoly, pictured, as an introduction to cutting edge maths problems.

They were also entertained by a troupe of ‘mathemagicians’ – Oxford University maths students who brought a little glamour to the subject with an unusual approach to problems such as ‘pie’ charts.

Prof du Sautoy, who has appeared in a number of TV shows and is credited with popularising maths, used David Beckham’s shirt number 23 as a starting point for an explanation of prime numbers – dipping into subjects such as Chinese numerical lore, insects and anti-hacking technologies.

Following the session, Prof du Sautoy spoke at a public lecture, making his inaugural speech since taking up a post at the university.

The day was organised by the university’s department for continuing education.