Recent Past Events
Thursday 6th June to Sunday 16th June: Glasgow Science Festival 2024
Members of the School of Mathematics & Statistics will be delivering a range of in-person events in venues across the city for Glasgow Science Festival 2024. Details of these activities are provided below and more information can be found on the GSF webpage.
APERIODIC TILES AND THE EINSTEIN PROBLEM. Thursday 6th June – Tuesday 11th June, 2024, Riverside Museum.
Are you good at puzzles? Think you’ve got what it takes to find an aperiodic monotile? Join researchers from the School of Maths and Statistics at the University of Glasgow to build patterns with tiles. Sounds simple? It’s harder that it looks. How big can you build it?
GO WILD FOR STATS: STATISTICS FOR SAVING SPECIES. Friday 7th June, 2024, Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Can you save endangered species? Don't know where to start? Maybe statistics is the answer! Researchers from the School of Maths and Statistics at the University of Glasgow will help you discover how you can estimate the numbers left in the wild and even how to use technology to help save them from poachers.
CELEBRATING LORD KELVIN’S 200TH BIRTHDAY: THE KELVIN BUBBLE. Saturday 8th June – Saturday 15th June, 2024, University of Glasgow, Advanced Research Centre (ARC).
Ever wondered why bees build honeycombs with identical 2D hexagons? William Thompson (a.k.a. Lord Kelvin) of the University of Glasgow University did. He identified the tetrakaidekahedron, a solid figure with 14 faces and its bubble equivalent, the Kelvin Cell. A 3D space-filling building block! Celebrate the 200th birthday of the University of Glasgow’s greatest scientist through a mathematical, scientific, and artistic exploration of Kelvin’s foam model of the luminiferous aether, which was then believed to permeate the entire Universe! A collaboration between the University of Glasgow’s School of Mathematics & Statistics (led by Dr Stephen J. Watson), the School of Physics and Astronomy, and artist Dr Gregor Harvie. For more information, please visit the GSF webpage.
TRANSFORMING MATHEMATICS & CHEMISTRY INTO KINTTED ART ACCORDING TO ALEXANDER CRUM BROWN. Thursday 13th June, 2024, University of Glasgow, Advanced Research Centre (ARC).
Come and join us for a knit-along evening creating models inspired by eminent chemist and mathematician, Alexander Crum Brown. During the evening, we would like knitters to contribute towards a group knitting project – the creation of a rock salt (sodium chloride) unit cell – inspired by Alexander Crum Brown to be later displayed at the University of Glasgow. If time permits, knitters will be able to explore other mathematics-chemistry Crum Brown inspired knitting. Yarn and patterns will be provided but please bring needles - size 4mm. Spaces are limited for this event; booking is essential. For more information, please visit the GSF webpage.
WHAT MAKES SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL? Friday 14th June – Saturday 15th June, 2024, Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Why do we find some faces attractive? Why do we decorate our houses in certain ways? Why are the same designs found in nature? Explore these questions by playing with shapes and patterns, and making your own. Guided by researchers from the School of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of Glasgow, you will have the chance to craft your own symmetric patterns, mimicking those of butterflies. Learn how to spot them in wallpaper designs and then seek them out in the Botanic Gardens.
Available upon request throughout 2023-24: Royal Statistical Society William Guy Lecture (talk aimed at secondary schools)
The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) William Guy Lecturers and prestigious volunteer roles intended to celebrate the importance on engaging with schools and inspiring children about statistics from an early age. In 2023-24, Craig Anderson (senior lecturer in statistics) at the University of Glasgow, Scotland was appointed as the William Guy Lecturer for secondary school. Craig is available to deliver his ~25 minute talk on the topic of Using statistics to monitor air pollution to secondary schools across Scotland.
For more information, please visit the RSS webpage or contact Craig to request a live talk or to ask any questions.
Friday 19th April 2024: Naboj maths competition
Naboj is an international mathematical competition which started in in 1998 in Bratislava, Slovakia and has since grown to 21 cities across 11 countries with the event taking place concurrently across all centres. The competition is aimed at secondary school students and usually hosted at a university.
The purpose of this competition is to bring together young mathematicians and inspire them in their pursuit of mathematics. The competition is free to enter and lasts 2 hours during which the teams of five try to solve as many given problems as possible. Teams compete in two categories: Junior (S3/4) and Senior (S5/6). The team correctly solving the most problems wins.
The University of Glasgow had prepared to host this event in March 2020, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to the pandemic. Since then, the event took place in-person for the first time in April 2023 with Glasgow and Cambridge being the only hosting centres in the UK.
The competition takes place in April, and registration opens in March. If schools are interested in taking part, please contact the organiser.”
'We are grateful for financial support from the Glasgow Mathematical Journal Learning and Research Support Fund, the Edinburgh Mathematical Society and Jane Street'.
Saturday 16th December 2023: Ri Christmas Lecture: Truth About AI (livestream at UofG) (Lecture aimed at 11-17 year olds)
Initiated by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell. More information on the Ri CHRISTMAS LECTURES.
The School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Glasgow will be hosting a livestream event of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution. The lectures themselves are taking place in the Faraday Lecture Theatre at the Royal Institution in London. We'll be using the internet to receive a live video feed from the theatre while the lectures are being recorded for later BBC broadcast. You won't be recorded or on the television; it will be like going to the cinema where you watch the action that's taking place somewhere else. Alongside the livestream our team will entertain you with fun activities to learn more about the subject.
The CHRISTMAS LECTURES are aimed at an audience of 11-17 year olds, however they are accessible for people of all ages and all levels of scientific knowledge. All young people under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult, with a maximum of one adult per family.
Doors for the event will open at 17:30. Please arrive before the screening begins at 18.00. The latest finish will be 20:30. Basic refreshments will be available. You are welcome to bring sandwiches, snacks and drinks, but please avoid bringing hot or strong-smelling food and alcohol.
The event is FREE and ticketed, and booking is required. Get your tickets at this link.
Contact Xiaochen Yang (xiaochen.yang@glasgow.ac.uk) with any questions.
Thursday 14th December 2023: SmartSTEMS Hub Event at UofG 09:30-14:30
We will be delivering a maths inspired workshop at the upcoming SmartSTEMS Hub Event which is being organised by SmartSTEMS. SmartSTEMS exist to inspire the next generation about Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
Saturday 28th October 2023 – Saturday 2nd December 2023 10:00am-12:30pm: Ri Mathematics and Statistics Masterclasses (for S3 pupils)
Each year we host the Strathclyde series of Ri Masterclasses. These are extra-curricular workshops in mathematics and statistics which aim to nurture students’ curiosity and inspire them to continue engaging with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in the future. The Masterclasses are held over six consecutive Saturday mornings and each session will cover a different topic. They are open to S3 pupils who have been nominated by their maths teacher. If your school did not receive an invitation to attend, the teacher should contact the organiser. In 2023 the series will run from Saturday 28th October until Saturday 2nd December. The programme for this year, and for previous events can be found at the link below.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/mathematicsstatistics/events/masterclasses/
25th September – 1st October, 2023: Maths Week Scotland
The theme for Maths Week Scotland this year is Maths in Motion. Below are some events hosted by members of the School.
Maths inside is returning for Maths Week Scotland 2023! Maths inside is a photo competition open to everyone in Scotland. The categories this year are: oot an’ aboot, the ‘why’ of shapes, and in motion. Can you see the maths inside?
To celebrate Maths Week Scotland 2023, the University of Glasgow is running a data visualisation competition for school pupils called Get to the Point.
More details for both events can be found on the Maths Week Scotland webpage.
https://www.mathsweek.scot/schools/maths-week-challenges
Friday 15th September 2023 12:30-1:30pm: Life’s not fair for RSE Curious
Explore the complex interactions between inequality, privilege, and health using a board game.
On the surface, it may seem that everyone in Scotland has an equal chance in life.
However, people from the most deprived parts of the country are more at risk of poor health, live shorter lives on average and have reduced opportunities in education and employment.
This interactive workshop will use a board game to explore the complex interactions between inequality, privilege, and health.
The event is ticketed, and booking is required.
https://www.rse-curious.com/lifes-not-fair/
Thursday 1st June to Sunday 11th June: Glasgow Science Festival 2023
Members of the School delivered several in-person events including a virtual reality tour of the heart, data storytelling, and We heart Statistics – an introduction to statistics using data from your own heart.
Our contribution to Science on the Sofa is still accessible. Explore our activities investigating optimal shapes and patterns.