In this newsletter:
- Latest news
- Jobs
- Browse with Plus
- Mathematical moments
- Live maths
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Latest news from Plus
Another proof of Fermat's last theorem
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/serre/index.html
Speechless maths - Do you need language to do maths?
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/speechless/index.html
Plus... more news from the world of maths
The maths lab revisited
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/plusmore35/index.html#fourcolour
How random is Pi?
http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr05/plusmore35/index.html#randompi
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Jobs
The Royal Institution in London currently has a vacancy for the post of:
Clothworkers' Fellow in Mathematics
The Ri has a vibrant and expanding mathematics programme focused mainly on
stimulating and encouraging mathematically able young people (ages 5-18),
but extending also to a wider audience through the Ri's public science
programmes. The Clothworkers Fellow in Mathematics is responsible for
advising on, overseeing and directing this programme, and in particular
for developing and supporting the national network of primary and
secondary level Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclasses.
For further details please see the Royal Institution website
http://www.rigb.org/rimain/news/newsdetail.jsp?&comp=1&id=57&lang=EN
Closing date: 27th May 2005
In addition, the Ri is seeking to recruit an Events Co-ordinator for
its public science programme (closing date 31st May 2005) - see
http://www.rigb.org/rimain/news/newsdetail.jsp?&comp=1&id=58&lang=EN
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Browse with Plus
BlueSci
Cambridge University's BlueSci magazine is now available online. Put
together by young Cambridge scientists, BlueSci is a great popular science
publication, accessible to scientists and lay people, in- and outside
Cambridge University alike. The third issue includes articles on winged
elephants, superbugs, Einstein's battle with quantum theory and mobile
phone technology.
http://www.bluesci.org/
Popular Science Book Reviews
We stick to popular science with this amazing book review site. Books (how
many of them is impossible to say) are sorted by author, title and
subject,and the reviews are clear and concise. Popular science software is
reviewed as well, and there's an events section. You'll never be short of a
nerdy birthday present again.
http://www.popularscience.co.uk/
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Mathematical moments
Paolo Ruffini - Born 22 September 1765, Valentano, now Italy,
Died 10 May 1822, Modena, now Italy
Paolo Ruffini's story shows that mathematicians can be just as stubborn as
everyone else when it comes to accepting something they don't like. In 1799
Ruffini proved that quintic polynomial equations cannot be solved by
radicals. A radical is an expression involving roots, and it was known that
quadratic, cubic and quartic equations could all be solved by radicals.
No-one at the time wanted to admit that this might not be the case for
quintic equations, and thus Ruffini's work, which he sent to the famous
Joseph-Louis Lagrange, was greeted with stony silence. Ruffini published
his work another five times in the period from 1801 to 1813, but to no
avail.
This is even more amazing as Ruffini laid the foundations for modern group
theory in his work. Although some acclaim did come from the legendary
Augustin Cauchy, Ruffini's result was later attributed to Niels Henrik
Abel.
But Ruffini was not only a mathematician, but also a professor and
practitioner of medicine. In 1817, he contracted typhus when treating his
patients, and died from the disease in 1822.
You can read more about Ruffini on
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Ruffini.html
and about the unsolvability of the quintic on
http://library.wolfram.com/examples/quintic/main.html
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Live maths
Maths is everywhere
In this one-hour lecture, organised by the Millennium Mathematics Project,
Professor John D Barrow talks about the maths in the world around us and
how we can use it to understand nature. The talk is suitable for anyone
aged 16 or over. Admission is free, but for tickets you must contact Alison
Boyle from the Millennium Mathematics Project on 01223 766839 or by email
on [log in to unmask]
When: Thursday, 19th May 2005, 5.00 pm
Where: Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA
For further information visit
http://mmp.maths.org/events/eventlist.php
Cheltenham Festival of Science,
This year's program is packed with events looking at science from every
angle. Lectures and discussions explore such varied subjects as the big
bang, climate change and astrology, and you can take your kids to meet
robots or learn about the music of the primes. The events feature quite a
few well-known faces, such as Simon Singh, Roger Penrose and Gunther von
Hagens (the creator of Bodyworlds). Some events are already fully booked
(such as - no joke - the lecture on the science of champagne, including
tasting), so get your tickets on the website below. Most lectures are four
pounds (three pounds concession).
When: 8-12 June 2005
Where: Cheltenham
For tickets and further information visit
http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.co.uk/frame_festindex.cfm?FEST=SCIENCE
Move over Einstein
This exhibition, which is part of the Einstein Year, is aimed at 11-14
year olds and is at the Science Museum in London until the 12th of June.
Interactive exhibits allow you, among other things, to create a (small)
big bang and detect a new faraway planet. After the 12th of June, the
exhibition will go travelling, see
http://www.einsteinyear.org/events/schedule
for a tour schedule. Also, see
http://www.einsteinyear.org/
for more information on the Einstein Year.
Admission to the Science Museum is free
When: Until 12th of June
Where: Science Museum London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington,
London, SW7 2DD
For further information visit
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/index.asp
or
http://www.einsteinyear.org/events/moveovereinstein
Happy reading from the Plus team!
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