Maths

Mathematics isn't everybody's favourite subject at school, but it is fundamental to the way we understand the world around us. Maths is surprisingly common in nature, can help us unravel the mysteries of the atomic world, and allows engineers and scientists launch us deep into the vastness of space, using nothing but special numbers, equations and symbols. We are able to study almost everything using the power of maths.

Can plants count?

Plants can't count exactly like humans do, but scientists agree that they're capable of some very clever things

This ‘impossible’ quantum discovery could rewrite the rules of existence

Physicists may have got something fundamentally wrong about the world’s most essential particles. The truth could change our understandings of the Universe

The two numbers that could solve maths' biggest mysteries

It’s one of modern mathematics’ most challenging problems. How close are we to solving the Mandelbrot set’s final obstacle?

This latest record-breaking prime number takes 237 days to read

The world's new largest prime number is over 41 million digits long.

We officially have a new shape, say mathematicians

Bye bye, star. See you later, rectangle. Sayonara, parallelogram. Hello, geometric building block with rounded corners.

Could we be living in a black hole?

Here's one to get your head spinning.

The best scientific calculators for 2025

Whether you're about to take an exam or you're a renowned engineer, a good scientific calculator is your best friend.

16 of the best quiz collections and puzzle books for adults in 2024

Top puzzle books for adults and kids, picked by our quiz-loving team.

7 of the best smart thinking books to read in 2024

Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy reveals the seven best books to help you think smarter and make mathematically better decisions.

Best maths books 2024

The best books to help you understand the maths and statistics that govern life here on Earth.

How do you read binary numbers?

Learn the basics of binary with our handy guide.

Why are minor chords sad and major chords happy?

Chords can be used in music to help brighten or darken a mood.

Instant Genius Podcast | COVID Numbers, with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter

Statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter joins us on our podcasts, Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.

What shape is the Universe?

According to Einstein's theory of General Relativity, the Universe could take one of three forms: flat like a piece of paper, closed like a sphere, or open like a saddle.

Instant Genius Podcast | The animal kingdom’s mathematicians, with Brian Butterworth

Neuroscientist Prof Brian Butterworth joins us on our podcasts, Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.

What is the Fibonacci sequence?

Flowers, pinecones, shells, fruits, hurricanes and even spiral galaxies, all exhibit the Fibonacci sequence.

How the humble triangle has shaped human history

Thanks to this simple shape, we have the 'space oblique Mercator projection', which is vital for everything in 21st Century civilisation.

Instant Genius Podcast | Mental Shortcuts, with Prof Marcus du Sautoy

Mathematician Prof Marcus du Sautoy joins us on our podcasts, Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.

Want to make money? Become a mathematician. Seriously.

Professor Ian Stewart explains how maths makes money and how you can, too.

The Babylonians were using Pythagoras’ Theorem over 1,000 years before he was born

An ancient clay tablet shows that the Babylonians used Pythagorean triples to measure accurate right angles for surveying land.

Instant Genius Podcast | Hidden geometry, with Jordan Ellenberg

Mathematician Jordan Ellenberg joins us on these episodes of our podcasts Instant Genius and Instant Genius Extra.

Why stats in the news don’t often add up – and how to spot a fake

Tom Chivers and David Chivers, authors of How to Read Numbers, explain what to look out for with statistics in the news.