I wrote a mathematics-themed competition for British Science Week, which is a UK-wide event lasting ten days taking place this month.
The competition calls for individuals or groups to research the life and/or work of a mathematician and produce a poster to share their findings. The six mathematicians available to choose from are:
- Maria Agnesi (1718-1799): Italian mathematician especially known for a famous cubic curve.
- Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c.780-c.850): Persian mathematician influential in many areas including algebra and algorithms.
- Apollonius of Perga (c.250BCE-c.190BCE): Greek mathematician who introduced the conic sections – two-dimensional shapes formed by cutting through a cone.
- Brahmagupta (598-670): Indian mathematician who set out rules for arithmetic involving zero.
- Philippa Fawcett (1868-1948): English mathematician, first woman to score top in the Cambridge mathematical exams, but was not awarded the degree she earned by doing so.
- Zu Chongzhi (429-500): Chinese mathematician and astronomer who calculated the most accurate approximation of pi for most of the next 1000 years.
Posters will be judged according to the following criteria:
- Creativity of presentation – How well have you used the space to creatively present your ideas?
- Clarity of presentation – How did get your ideas across?
- Research – What do you know about your chosen mathematician’s life and work?
The deadline for entries is Friday 18th March 2022. More information is available from the SHU Science Week Challenges & Competitions page under ‘Mathematics Poster Competition’.