On November 22nd, the Lower Sixth attended a Mathematics trip to the Emmanuel Centre for a series of Mathematics lectures.
They ranged in content, from the more abstract topics of the platonic universe to proving Fermats last theorem, and perhaps most interestingly a performance of Bohemian Rhapsody on the electric guitar by Dr Lewney, regarding trigonometry and its link to binary.
There were five lectures in total, and also a brief talk about exam technique and common mistakes made at A level, which was helpful in providing ways to avoid simple errors in examinations and to gain practice for the harder questions at the end of the paper. The first lecture involved algebraic number theory and how abstract mathematics can sometimes not fit in our universe – as well as a particularly bright pair of trousers, worn by the speaker, Dr Buzzard. The following two lectures were less conceptual, focusing on how Fermats last theorem was proved, and misinterpretations of statistics in the news. These were followed by a talk and various guitar solos from Dr Lewney on string theory and trigonometry, and then from a data scientist, who explained the role of Mathematics in cybersecurity and detecting viruses.
Overall, the lectures were thoroughly engaging and insightful and demonstrated different areas of research in Mathematics, as well as the relevance of Mathematics in current affairs.
