Thanks to James Allen from the University of Portsmouth and Dr Ossian Longoria from the Institute of Cancer Research who have recently given talks to College mathematicians.

James Allen’s talk on 6 March centred on Topology – the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometric objects and the specific application of the Euler Characteristic to the curvature of shapes, an area of abstract mathematics very applicable to cartography, and determining the shape of the universe; while Dr Ossian Longoria’s talk on 21 March focused on the practical use of statistics in Medicine. 

Students felt that Dr Longoria related his work in prostate cancer to the mathematics they’re studying (such as the importance of random sampling, histograms and the Normal Distribution) in a very accessible and engaging way.

A huge thanks to Simon King, Head of Maths at the College for organising these talks, and giving students the opportunity to hear first-hand about possible Maths-related career routes.