Features from Maths Society where we discuss mathematics, its puzzles, problems and impacts.
Feature
16 July 2026 / 17 July 2026 by Charlton C
As the ‘contest days’ at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad in Shanghai come to a close, we take a look at the recently-released IMO 2026 maths problems. Can you solve them?
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15 July 2026 / 16 July 2026 by Charlton C
Shanghai is hosting the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad, the largest edition yet of the world championship maths competition for high school students. Nearly 700 competitors from over 110 countries and territories will compete over the coming days.
30 June 2026 / 7 July 2026 by Charlton C
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is one of the biggest, most renowned tournaments in sporting history. But just how much does the tournament, and football more generally, rely on the mathematical world?
2 June 2026 / 7 June 2026 by Charlton C
On 26 May, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awarded German mathematician Gerd Faltings, Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, the 2026 Abel Prize for his pioneering research into arithmetic geometry.
19 May 2026 / 2 June 2026 by Etti B
Why is it that if there are 23 people in a room, it is more likely than not that two of share share a birthday? A classic problem where probability breaks intuition.
28 April 2026 / 5 May 2026 by Charlton C
The Collatz conjecture is one of the most infamous yet simple mathematical problems in the world. No one can seem to prove it, despite the attention of some of the world’s best mathematicians. So how does it work and why can’t we solve its mystery yet?
21 April 2026 / 5 May 2026 by Charlton C
We spend our whole lives moving around in three dimensions: up-down, left-right, and forward-backward. It’s so natural that we don’t even think about it. But in mathematics, there’s no rule saying you have to stop at three. In fact, mathematicians work with ‘n-dimensions’ all the time.
10 March 2026 / 8 March 2026 by Charlton C
The Two Guards Riddle is a simple yet fascinating logic puzzle. You are travelling along a road when you arrive at a fork in the road. You know that one path leads to vast riches and the other leads to certain doom, but you do not know which is which. One is guarded by a truth-teller and one by a liar. How do you know which route to take?
8 March 2026 / 21 February 2026 by Aarav S
What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day, or even International Women in Mathematics Day, than to learn about the enormous contribution women have made to mathematics! Here are a few female mathematicians you can celebrate:
24 February 2026 / 3 March 2026 by Roksanka K
With the recent Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina keeping many of us glued to our televisions, and the extensive worldwide broadcasting of curling, many of us have been left to ponder how the sport works. On the surface it seems fairly simple, with some going as far as claiming they could easily do it themselves, but is this true? And what is the maths behind this unique sport?
