Mathematics

It has been a fantastic year in the Mathematics Department – our first full year in the new Goodfield Building. This building, with its modern architecture, inspired us to try and create a challenging mathematical sculpture.

Our research into mathematical sculptures, for ideas and inspiration, eventually led us to a mathematician called George Hart. He has published more than 60 academic articles and his geometric sculptures are recognized for their mathematical depth and creative use of materials. They can be seen at locations around the world, including MIT, U.C. Berkeley, and Princeton University. We contacted George directly for permission to make one of his sculptures, called ‘Ambagesque’, from the Latin word for ‘tangle’. Initially, it appears like a confusing tangle, hence its name, however, the shape actually consists of 60 copies of a single flat shape. The shape is carefully designed to exactly meet with itself in many ways. Each part connects to other parts in six places, so it is highly interconnected and rigid. The structure has icosahedral symmetry, with 2-fold, 3-fold, and 5-fold rotational axes. The study of platonic shapes has fascinated philosophers and mathematicians for centuries. The study of the possible sets of symmetries is what mathematicians call group theory. The Lower Sixth had to work as a team over several hours thinking about the symmetry, in order to construct this very modern and eye-catching sculpture, which now has pride of place in the Mathematics Department in the Goodfield Centre. Further examples of pupils creating art using straight lines are also now displayed around the Maths Department. As well as enjoying some time to be creative with Maths, many students have taken part in the all the UKMT Maths Challenges again this year and have been very successful once again. In the Intermediate Maths Challenge alone we had 10 pupils who qualified for kangaroos and Evan Cockworth-Jones qualified for the Olympiad.

It has been a fantastic year and I look forward to see what 2022-23 will bring!

Tracey Greenaway