Mathematics to Map the World

Daniel Daners

Everyone has seen maps of the world, but not too many know how they are constructed, even though the modelling and the mathematics required only uses high school mathematics. In this talk we construct some familiar maps, and study their properties. In particular we focus on the Mercator map, the stereographic projection and some maps in between. We also show how simple transformations of the complex plane (Argand diagrams) allow to produce many useful maps.

The Dark Side of the Cube

Burkard Polster

The cube is easy, right? It's the fundamental building block for our right-angled world, and most people are convinced that they know all there is to know about this simplest of 3D shapes. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Come along and watch mathematical masterchef Burkard expertly slice and dice the cube. He'll fold it, explode it, reassemble it, turn it inside out and make it perform tricks you never imagined possible. It will all make for an amazing tour of the dark side of the cube.

The Mathematics of Planet Mars

Marty Ross

This year we're all keenly celebrating The Maths of Planet Earth. But what about Mars? What mathematics might Martians get up to? Would it be like ours, or might Martian maths have its own particular flavour? In this presentation Marty will consider what might be truly universal about mathematics, and what might be very special to us Earthlings.

Pulp Fractions: Mathematics goes to the Movies

Burkard Polster & Marty Ross

We are in the business of mathematics, of calm and careful reasoning. But what happens when popular culture noses in? How are mathematicians and mathematics portrayed? Burkard and Marty have been collecting mathematical movies for over a decade and have written the definitive (and pretty much the only) book on the topic. Come and let them show you the best and the worst (mostly the worst) that Hollywood has to offer.