Celia Hoyles: The magic numbers
Monday 07 January 2008 Permlink
As ‘maths tsar’ Celia Hoyles tried to persuade us that her subject is useful and beautiful. The mission continues.
Like Bertrand Russell, for whom mathematics was “my chief source of happiness”, Celia Hoyles has always adored a subject that terrifies and repels large sections of the population. She sees life, she says, through a numerical lens and instantly appreciates the mathematical patterns in things like snails’ shells. “There’s something wonderful about logical proof,” she enthuses. “You can prove one thing and fit it into something else, it’s like a jigsaw.”
Wonder, beauty, love – these are not words most of us would use about maths, but Hoyles use them frequently, along with an occasional “fantastic!”. It’s not surprising that her second marriage is to a fellow maths education professor. They are both based at the London University Institute of Education – and “we talk maths all the time”.
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More Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths Policy Watch
- Science Diploma Consultation
- Information on Further Mathematics Networks
- 'Bringing Learning to Life' Diploma Marketing Campaign
- Students Deterred by 'Geeky' Image of Maths
- Science White Paper to Drive Innovation
- Postgraduate Students Snub Science
- Celia Hoyles: The magic numbers
- Science Policy Report - December 2007
- Science Policy Report - September 2007
