Talks for Schools

Below is a list of colleagues who have a talk prepared and are ready to visit schools. Please note that local schools have a preference. You are very welcome to contact the colleagues below directly. If you have any other queries regarding "Talks for Schools" please contact Dr Francisca Mota-Furtado.

Chomp is a game played by two players on a rectangular grid. This talk gives the rules of Chomp, and uses it to introduce some ideas of game theory and of proof.

Dr Carlos Cid: Symmetry in Mathematics

In nature, the notion of symmetry is often associated with harmony of forms and beauty, and its concept is widely applied in the design of objects of all shapes and sizes, such as in arts, architecture and even music. Most animals present some form of bilateral symmetry. Symmetry's natural habitat is however in Mathematics. The concept can be described mathematically and the ubiquity of symmetric forms in nature is a great motivation for the study of the mathematics behind symmetry. We discuss the geometric and mathematical concept of symmetry in various forms, such as reflectional, rotational and translational symmetry. We also consider wallpaper and crystallographic symmetry. Finally we look for examples found in both organic and inorganic nature that illustrate the beauty of symmetry.

Prof Glyn Harman: Maths is All Around Us

This is a light-hearted account of the pervasiveness of mathematics in the modern world, including reference to strange attractors. The presentation uses Powerpoint and video-clips and is suitable for all sixth formers.

Prof Keith Martin: Cryptography and the Da Vinci Code

This event will provide an introduction to cryptography, a science which has played an important historic role and now underpins the security of information systems, including the Internet. We will demonstrate some of the security problems with sending information over the Internet and discuss how cryptography can be used to address these. Attendees will have the chance to solve some simple cryptographic puzzles and learn a little bit about how cryptography works. Will also discuss whether there is any real cryptography used in Dan Brown's book, The Da Vinci Code.

Dr James McKee: Mathematics at University 

This talk aims to provide sixth-formers (and their teachers) with an up-to-date picture of Mathematics at University today - the way it relates to, and differs from, mathematics at A-level, the wide range of topics available (from abstract algebra to theoretical physics, from the mathematics of decision making to cryptography), the way to distinguish between mathematics degree courses at different universities, and the careers taken up by mathematics graduates.

Dr Benjamin Klopsch: Mathematics under the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Imagine you are seated in a small cafe near the Tower of Pisa in Italy. It is a fine summer day, perfect for mathematical daydreaming. Is it possible to build towers which lean over more seriously? -- We will experimentally build such leaning towers and explore the mathematics behind the scene. Not entirely unexpectedly, a cup of strong coffee will save the day.

Prof Kenny Paterson: From Fish to Phishing

Cryptography is a beautiful and ancient subject, and today is a thriving academic discipline at the intersection of mathematics and computer science. Cryptography plays an important role in securing many facets of everyday life, including, for example, our mobile phone calls, our credit card payments, and (soon) our electronic health records. In this talk, I will discuss some of the real-world problems that arise when cryptography is put into use. I will begin by discussing Fish, an important cipher from World War II, and explain how it was broken at Bletchley Park using a combination of luck, ingenuity and hard work. I will end with Phishing, a modern phenomenon in which fraudsters trick victims into revealing sensitive personal information such as credit card details. I will try to extract from these and other examples what cryptography can (and cannot) do for us.

Prof Fred Piper: How to keep a secret: An introduction to Cryptography

Many people now encrypt their e-mail messages to prevent others from reading them. Financial institutions use cryptography to protect transactions conducted over open networks. How does it work? In this lecture we will look at some of the basic principles and see how cryptography has developed.

Note: The level of mathematics involved can be adjusted to fit almost any audience.