April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness month and its goal is to increase public understanding and appreciation of Maths and Stats.
Mathematics and Statistics Awareness month began in 1986 and is a program of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics.
This year Queen Mary is getting involved and here in the School of Mathematical Sciences, we are sharing one example per day of how Maths and Stats are used in different areas of everyday life.
We are one of the biggest Maths departments in the UK and our academic staff work across a wide range of disciplines within Mathematics and Statistics, so we have a lot of knowledge to share. If you’re interested in learning more about the research being done within the School of Mathematical Sciences and its real-world applications, this is a great opportunity to get a snapshot of our work. We sourced all our examples from within the School and we are really proud of the community effort from our students and staff.
With our campaign well underway, we have already shown how Mathematics and Statistics are used to price home insurance in the face of climate change, to measure the effectiveness of cycle paths in London, and to reproduce bumblebee flights. We have plenty more interesting content coming, too, with examples of how Mathematics and Statistics are important in cybersecurity, seismic activity, and when ordering and eating pizza.
If you’re not already following along on social media, head over to our Instagram and Twitter accounts where we will be posting a new example each day throughout April.