Podcast: Episode 48 - Andrea Donafee, Cash balance optimisation

These are the show notes for episode 48 of the Travels in a Mathematical World Podcast. 48 is the smallest number with 10 divisors. More about 48 from Number Gossip.

This week Andrea Donafee spoke to me about her work for Cash Management Systems in optimisation around managing cash balances. You can read more about Andrea's work by reading her profile on the Maths Careers website.

You can find out more about my work with the IMA by following me on Twitter, reading this blog and visiting http://www.ima.org.uk/student/. Join the Facebook page.

Mathematics Today December 2009: University Liaison Officer's Report

Improving graduate skills through an undergraduate conference

When I give my careers talk to undergraduates I talk about the skills their degree offers and those it may not. I highlight the skills employers think maths graduates do and don't have, based on commonly held stereotypes. On the plus side a mathematician is logical, systematic, rigorous, clear thinking and analytical [1]. These are logical, analytical problem solvers, highly valued in many areas of employment [2]. On the other hand, employers think mathematicians are lacking in certain areas, including communication and social skills [1].

I believe the soon-to-be-graduate mathematician needs to be aware of the preconceptions held by the people who are interviewing them for positions. I tell students the person hiring them thinks they are a logical problem solver and worth hiring, but they believe that if they do so their new employee will need to be brought up to speed on communication and social skills. If the mathematician can demonstrate they conform only to the positive side of the stereotype they have the opportunity to surprise the interviewer and this may give them an edge. Of course it is not sufficient to simply make unsubstantiated claims: "I am an excellent communicator". The student must be armed with experiences to provide evidence of their range of employability skills: "I have done x and this shows me to be an excellent communicator".

It is against this background that I was approached by Noel-Ann Bradshaw of the University of Greenwich with a plan to provide graduates with appropriate experiences and evidence of their skills: an undergraduate conference. Students are invited to propose short talks on a topic of their choosing, which will be approved through an abstract submission process. I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear we were very happy to support this initiative through the University Liaison Project.

The conference, Tomorrow's Mathematicians Today: an Undergraduate Mathematics Conference in London, supported by the IMA, is to take place on 6 February 2010 at the University of Greenwich. Abstracts are invited –by 1 p. m. on 18 December 2009 please to tmt@gre.ac.uk – and the students will be notified whether they have been successful in the new year. Students looking towards further study and research will benefit from having experienced (endured?!) the process of submitting an abstract to a conference. All student presenters will benefit from a skills enhancing experience and will return the better for having attended with clear evidence to demonstrate to potential employers what employable people they are. All attendees will find they have an enjoyable, enriching experience hearing about some interesting mathematics and mixing with their peers. As an added bonus Noel-Ann has managed quite a coup in getting IMA-LMS Christopher Zeeman Medal winner Professor Ian Stewart to deliver the keynote address.

The conference title – Tomorrow's Mathematicians Today – reflects the idea that the conference is designed to attract delegates who will become the leading mathematicians of tomorrow. In part I think this will be a self-fulfilling prophecy; having benefited from this conference the delegates are armed to go into the world and become the next generation of leading mathematicians. I highly recommend encouraging your students to attend. There is more information on attendance and a call for papers elsewhere in this issue of Mathematics Today or you can visit the conference website at http://mathsoc.cms.gre.ac.uk/tmt/.

References

1. CHALLIS, N., GRETTON, H., HOUSTON, K., and NEILL, N., 2002. Developing transferable skills: preparation for employment. In: P. KAHN, ed. and J. KYLE, ed., Effective Teaching and Learning in Mathematics & its Applications. London: Kogan Page, 2002, pp. 79-91.
2. QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, THE, 2002. Subject benchmark statements: Academic standards - Mathematics, statistics and operational research. Gloucester: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Activities Sept-Oct 2009

In September I returned from my summer break and started planning for the new academic year. I provided comments to Julie Hepburn, the IMA's liaison in the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, on a rewrite she has conducted of the widely distributed careers advice leaflet "Your Options with Mathematics". This leaflet had many limitations and Julie has made a substantial improvement despite severe restrictions on the style, length of individual sections and types of jobs that can be recommended. With the wide distribution and knock-on impact of that leaflet among careers advisors I think Julie has managed a substantial leap forward in improving the quality of careers advice offered to mathematicians. Also in preparation for the new year I arranged a print run of leaflets highlighting the benefits of membership to students that will be distributed to all departments and careers services where mathematics degrees are offered. I would be grateful if you could assist in distributing these and please let me know (peter.rowlett@ima.org.uk) if you need more!

In October I resumed my visits to universities. I gave my careers talk at the University of East Anglia, twice during induction week at Nottingham Trent, at Liverpool John Moores, Liverpool, Kingston, Lancaster, Manchester Metropolitan and Bolton. I also gave a talk on puzzles at Liverpool and one on cryptography at Lancaster. I took an IMA stall to a careers fair at Kingston and to the ever-successful "Calculating Careers" Fair at Manchester. I was shadowed to Kingston by new IMA Assistant Director, John Meeson, who wanted the opportunity to learn about students and their motivations re. membership, Altogether these events have put me in contact with over 500 students in October.

Podcast: Episode 47 - Mark Blyth, Applications of fluid dynamics in biology

These are the show notes for episode 47 of the Travels in a Mathematical World Podcast. 47 is prime and is the 'quintessential random number', a popular in joke; see the 47 society or the Wikipedia page 47 (as an in joke).

This week on the podcast Mark Blyth of University of East Anglia (UEA) talked to me about his work applying fluid dynamics and elastomechanics to problems in biology and medicine. You can find more information on links between mathematics and biology at UEA at the UEA Research in Mathematical Biology webpage.

You can find out more about my work with the IMA by following me on Twitter, reading this blog and visiting http://www.ima.org.uk/student/. Join the Facebook page.

Slider puzzle

I had a play with a site called fyrebug.com and made a slider puzzle using the Travels in a Mathematical World podcast image. I mention the slider puzzle in the 14-15 puzzle form in my puzzles talk and you can read about the history of it at Archimedes' Lab. You can play the Travels in a Mathematical World version here:

Podcast: Episode 46 - Frank Kelly, random processes, networks and optimization

These are the show notes for episode 46 of the Travels in a Mathematical World Podcast. 46 is the number of human chromosomes. More about 46 from Number Gossip.

Prof Frank Kelly, Master of Christ's College Cambridge, talks about his career researching random processes, networks and optimization both within the University of Cambridge and through corporate collaboration. You can find out a lot more on Frank Kelly's website.

This recording was made live during the panel discussion at the Young Researchers in Mathematics 2009 Conference at the University of Cambridge. Find out more about future events at the Young Researchers in Mathematics website. You can watch the whole panel discussion, including an extended question & answer session as "Where has maths taken you?"

You can find out more about my work with the IMA by following me on Twitter, reading this blog and visiting http://www.ima.org.uk/student/. Join the Facebook page.

Podcast: Episode 45 - Maths news with Sarah Shepherd

These are the show notes for episode 45 of the Travels in a Mathematical World Podcast. 45 is the only number that is the sum of its digits multiplied by 5 More about 45 from Number Gossip.

This week on the podcast I met Sarah Shepherd, PhD student at the University of Nottingham and Editor of iSquared Magazine, and we discussed some maths news. Links to all the articles we mentioned are below.

In October the podcast turned 1 year old, since episode 1 was released on the 4th October 2008.

At the beginning of the month, Stephen Hawking gave up his title as Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge. Read "Hawking gives up academic title" from the BBC. At the end of the month, new Lucasian Professor Michael Green took up the post. Read "Stephen Hawking's successor as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics: Michael Green" from the Times and "Stephen Hawking's successor named" from the BBC. You can find an interview with "Michael Green: Master of the universe" from the Guardian.

The 125th anniversary of the agreement which saw the adoption of the Greenwich Meridian line. Read "At the centre of time" from the BBC.

The launch of maths educational games website Manga High, which received a lot of press attention with headlines like "Killer robots make maths homework less dull" from the Times. You can read a review as "Maths is the bedrock of the digital age" in the Guardian.

The release of graphic novel Logicomix. Read "Bertrand Russell's mathematical quest adds up to unlikely graphic novel hit" from the Guardian.

Mathematicians at Dundee University are to develop a virtual model of cancer growth. Read "Mathematics to build cancer model" from the BBC.

Work carried out by mathematicians at Imperial College suggests low doses of radiation can cause cardiovascular disease. Read "Low dose radiation 'harms heart'" from the BBC.

Government numeracy campaign targets shoppers. Read "Maths 'failing bargain hunters'" from the BBC.

Mathematics A Level numbers have seen an increase in 2009. Read MEI report into reasons for the increase in uptake of A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics in 2009. I also read "Science uptake figures are 'science fiction', says report" from the Telegraph.

Thousands of six and seven year olds in England who struggle with maths are to be offered one-to-one teaching in school after a successful pilot scheme. Read "One-to-one maths help for pupils" from the BBC.

A poster competition for undergraduate and PGCE mathematics students from the Further Mathematics Support Programme and Rolls-Royce is currently running. Read "Maths student poster competition just launched!" at Plus.

The IMA are supporting the undergraduate conference Tomorrow's Mathematicians Today at the University of Greenwich on 6 February 2010. Students are invited to submit abstracts for presentations on topics in mathematics that excite them. The keynote speaker will be Professor Ian Stewart, who earlier this year was the first recipient of the Christopher Zeeman Medal, awarded jointly by the LMS and the IMA for his work on promoting mathematics. More details at the conference website.

Martin Gardner, who has written on recreational mathematics for many years including a popular column in Scientific American, celebrated his 95th birthday. Read "For Decades, Puzzling People With Mathematics" from the New York Times.

For more about iSquared Magazine visit the iSquared Magazine Website.

You can find out more about my work with the IMA by following me on Twitter, reading this blog and visiting http://www.ima.org.uk/student/. Join the Facebook page.