In this episode of the Living Proof podcast we're delighted to meet Moustapha Fall. Moustapha is the Center President of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in Senegal and winner of a prestigious Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries. He also plays an important role on the international stage as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union.
Moustapha talks to us about about the amazing institution that is AIMS, about his outreach activities and advice for budding mathematicians, and about the challenges that face mathematicians in sub-Saharan Africa.
You can find the IMU-ICIAM report on fraudulent publishing, which Moustapha mentions in the podcast, here. The same team of authors has also drawn up recommendations on how to fight fraudulent publishing.
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Living proof: Codina Cotar and some amazing mathematical art
Earlier this year the the anomalous mathematical patterns sci-art competition attracted some jaw-dropping entries. The competition was held in connection to the Stochastic systems for anomalous diffusion research programme which took place at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) in Cambridge last year.
In this episode of Maths on the Move we talk to Codina Cotar, who co-organised the INI programme and helped put on the competition. Codina explains the maths which served as inspiration and discusses some of the winning entries. From coffee to quantum mechanics and from dance to diffusion, find out how mathematics, nature and art are inextricably linked.
Note that the in-person exhibition at the INI is now scheduled for March 2026.
The entries discusses in this podcast are shown below. To find out more about some of the mathematical topics mentioned in this podcast see:
The Sci-art competition - This article explores some of the mathematics behind the competition, including randomness, diffusion, and many particle systems.
The Fields Medals 2022: Maryna Viazovska - This article looks at the mathematics of sphere packings, which won a Fields Medal for the mathematician Maryna Viazovska.
Maths in a Minute: Fluid dynamics - A very bried introduction to the mathematics of liquids and gases.
A ridiculously short introduction to some very basic quantum mechanics - This article does what the title suggests.
A brief history of quantum field theory - A deeper look at the theory that arose from quantum mechanics.
Dye Diffusion in Water by Henrique Biasi. Find out more here.
A microcosm of milk by Christian Casaljay. Find out more here.
Work by Lilia Bakanova, which which won the category for textile, sculpture and other medium. Find out more here.
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Topological data analysis with Michael Hill
The mathematical area of topology is all about figuring out what truly defines a shape. Famously, topologists consider a coffee cup to be the same as a doughnut because one can be turned into the other without cutting or gluing — what defines and relates these two shapes for a topologist is that they have a single hole.
As you might imagine, if you have ever tried to drink coffee out of a doughnut, topology has traditionally been part of pure mathematics. Topological data analysis (TDA), however, opens up a world of applications by applying ideas from topology to vast data sets, helping us to understand their "shape" and draw out important features.
In this episode of Maths on the Move we talk to algebraic topologist Michael Hill about some of the fascinating uses of topological data analysis — from understanding breast cancer to making sure that voting is fair.
We talked to Michael after he gave a brilliant Rothschild lecture at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) in Cambridge. He was at the INI to attend the research programme Equivariant homotopy theory in context.
To find out more about the topics mentioned in this podcast see:
Maths in a minute: Topology — a quick introduction to topology.
Understanding life with topology — a quick introduction to TDA and some of its uses.
Euromaths: Heather Harrington — An episode of our Maths on the move podcast giving and introduction to topological data analysis.
Watch Mike Hill's Rothschild lecture at the INI.
Topology based data analysis identifies a subgroup of breast cancers with a unique mutational profile and excellent survival - The paper by Nicolau, Levine and Carlesson, mentioned by Michael in the podcast, which uses TDA to identify a novel type of breast cancer.
The Data and Democracy Lab — mentioned by Mike in the podcast.
Also, here is an image illustrating the intuition behind topological data analysis. As discs drawn around a bunch of points arranged in a circle increase in radius, they eventually overlap to form a ring, and later overlap to form a single blob.
This podcast forms part of our collaboration with the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) – you can find all the content from the collaboration here.
The INI is an international research centre and our neighbour here on the University of Cambridge's maths campus. It attracts leading mathematical scientists from all over the world, and is open to all. Visit www.newton.ac.uk to find out more.
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David Tong and 100 years of quantum mechanics
Welcome to the new season of the Maths on the Move podcast!
We start the season with theoretical physicist David Tong of the University of Cambridge looking at an important milestone in the history of physics: the 100th birthday of quantum mechanics which we celebrate this year. David tells us why a new theory was needed, which of the many strange aspects of quantum mechanics is, in his opinion, the most significant, and that Erwin Schrödinger had a tendency to be grumpy.
David also tells us how quantum mechanics links to quantum field theory, the language in which all of modern physics is formulated, and reveals some mysterious connections between very different areas of physics — such as the theory of black holes and fluid mechanics. Join us in a wavy dance from the very small to the very large!
For some background and further reading and viewing see:
David Tong's series of text books
A ridiculously short introduction to some very basic quantum mechanics
A brief history of quantum field theory
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle
Maths in a Minute: Black holes
What is general relativity? Plus asks David Tong
Sean Carroll's Mindscape podcast featuring David Tong
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Liz Fearon: Co-producing mathematics with the public
We may not notice it, but mathematics impacts our lives on a daily basis. Mathematical models inform policy decisions around the economy and public health. They are used to understand climate change and how to respond to it. They are vital in the design of public buildings and spaces. They are even used to try and prevent crime.
It seems reasonable, then, that the mathematical models should reflect people's interaction with each other and their environment, and that they should take account of people's perspectives and priorities. In this episode of Maths on the Move we talk to Liz Fearon, an epidemiologist at University College London, about a pioneering new project which aims to involve people in the production of mathematical models from the start, treating them as valued and equal members of the research team. Liz tells out about the motivation behind the project, how it works, and what she hopes to achieve.
To find out more about topics mentioned in this podcast see:
Co-production of mathematical models — the article accompanying this podcast
The website of the COMMET project
Disease modelling for beginners — our introduction to some basic concepts in infectious disease modelling
The inequalities of COVID-19 — our article exploring the role of the pandemic in amplifying social inequalities
Tracing mpox — our article about modelling the spread of mpox.
This podcast is part of our collaboration with JUNIPER, the Joint UNIversity Pandemic and Epidemic Response modelling consortium. JUNIPER comprises academics from the universities of Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Exeter, Oxford, Manchester, and Lancaster, who are using a range of mathematical and statistical techniques to address pressing questions about the control of COVID-19. You can see more content produced with JUNIPER here.
Maths on the Move, the podcast from plus.maths.org, will bring you the latest news from the world of maths, plus interviews and discussions with leading mathematicians and scientists about the maths that is changing our lives. Hosted by Plus editors Rachel Thomas and Marianne Freiberger.
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