Competition: Maths Writers Wanted

Ever wanted to be a writer? Do you have something good, important or amusing to say about maths or maths education? Here's a chance to prove your flair for the written word in a competition organised by Plus Magazine and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. The competition has been launched to celebrate 50 years of the IMA.

The winning article, and possibly some of the runners-up, will be published in a forthcoming book provisionally named fifty.

You can choose to write on a topic in any one of the following categories:

• The best maths of the last fifty years, including strange or interesting biography;
• Popular maths: sport, arts (prose, poetry and visual media), social science;
• Maths at work: medicine, finance, the environment, government;
• Quirky maths, humour, spoof and magic;
• Philosophy/psychology of maths, maths in education.

The article should appeal to readers of popular science books, and those with any interest in mathematics. It should be aimed at an international audience. But it is vitally important that the article should avoid over-simplification.

Any questions concerning the competition should be emailed to 50book@ima.org.uk .

Any format for the document will be accepted. Please submit your article by email to IMA50@maths.cam.ac.uk by 15 January 2013 with 'competition entry' as the email subject. More details can be found on the Plus website.

On Your Marks Maths Challenge

Did somebody say the Olympic Games is happening this year?

I'm not sure about that, but I do know that there is a Mathletics competition called On Your Marks.

The people behind World Maths Day and the e-Learning Foundation have come together to bring you this online maths challenge that all schools, students and teachers in the United Kingdom can take part in.

Contestants take part in live maths challenges using the online award-winning program Mathletics. There will be a live Hall of Fame, updated in real time with the highest scorers.

All participants will be given free access to the Mathletics website for the duration of the challenge. The event is completely free to take part.

You may now register on the website and perform some warm-up activities. The Mathletics event will take place on 13th and 14th June.

For full information and to register, go to the On Your Marks Maths Challenge website.

Alan Turing Competition

Next June marks the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing.

Alan Turing
(Photo from Wikipedia)

To commemorate the centenary on 23rd June 2012, the IMA have organised a competition. A £100 Amazon voucher is up for grabs for the best article, written in a maximum of 500 words, about the mathematician and his work.

If you’re 17 to 19 why not write a brief article on the work of this great mathematician. The winning article will feature on the Maths Careers website.

Send your entry by email to mathscareers@ima.org.uk or by using the entry form on the competition page. Include your name, age, name and address of school and a contact email address. Or if you are home-schooled, send your name, age, name and address of parent/guardian and a contact email address.

Good luck!