Academy Eye

On Monday 2^nd December, eighteen students from Years 11, 12 & 13 accompanied Mr Hardy and Mr Smith from the Maths Department to a lecture at the Open University in Milton Keynes. The lecture entitled “Phenomenal Mathematics,” provided by Professor John Mason covered many mathematical phenomena that are evident in everyday life today, and have been through the ages. His interest and enthusiasm for his subject is inspiring and was a great insight into what is waiting to be discovered when delving deeper into the world of mathematics.  Professor Mason began his Mathematics career at the age of fifteen when he was asked to tutor a fellow student at school, and continued when he became an ‘official’ tutor for students in years below himself while still studying at college.   Examples that Professor Mason highlighted included:  

·         The use of gears in vehicles and other mechanisms, and how through the ages these have been used less than effectively. Our ancestors’ farms, vehicles, and pumps could have been far more productive if they had thought about the maths! 

·         The relationship between two coins, one rotating around the other. How would size and proportion affect the number of turns the rotating coin would make?

·         The Gossip Problem – Using algebra, how many conversations would it take for ‘p’ people to all know all of the gossip?

·         The midpoints of curves on quadratics – some unusual relationships highlighted by manipulation.

·        Newton’s Cradle – What is the mechanics behind this piece of apparatus? How does it work? Why does it work? What if it is adapted?

    

Newton’s Cradle

A key pointer from the lecture was that in Mathematics one of the most effective means of learning is to question and reason. Make a conjecture, form an opinion on why you believe your particular answer is correct, and then step back. Make an argument for and against your answer. Break it down. Flip it round and look at all angles. Argue with yourself and if you haven’t come to a proven outcome or correct answer, your understanding of the process and stages of reasoning will still be greatly increased. This is how we progress and enhance our knowledge, getting our brain cells actively debating rather than following the trends.  

G.Smith Dec’08