Mathematical Things To Do

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

If you find yourself at a loose end this month, want a break from focusing on work, or have younger mathematicians to entertain, here are some suggestions for online activities you can do/watch/attend. If you have any suggestions of your own, add them in the comments!

Here on the Aperiodical

• For a bit of reading matter, check out recent issues of the Carnival of Mathematics (or if you feel inspired to write a blog post, you can submit it there for next month!)
• There’s plenty of things to read on our site – we also have occasional Feature posts, and host guest posts in our Irregulars column
• And don’t forget all of the interesting posts as part of our recent Big Lockdown Math-Off
• To let out your creativity, don’t forget our π-ku poetry competition is still going until 10th July
• If you’d like something to listen to, we’ve been interviewing people who make mathematical podcasts for the last few months, which makes for a useful list of recommendations for maths podcasts
• Speaking of podcasting, Peter and I are still recording our Mathematical Objects podcast while in lockdown, with some exciting special guests

Elsewhere online

• Maths on Toast has a whole section of their website dedicated to family maths at home, with activities to do every Monday
• Mike Lawler posts insightfully about maths activities he’s done with his kids, on Mike’s Maths Page
• There are also plenty of great maths puzzles and activities on NRICH, (including a special Covid-19 collection) and on Wild Maths
• James Grime has been making videos with other mathematicians for MathsWorldUK’s YouTube channel on a variety of interesting topics, which include some hands-on activities you can join in with at home
• If you’d like a challenge to while away the hours, there’s the Is This Prime game
• You could also try these online activities from the Maths of Waves & Materials team at the University of Manchester; they also have a YouTube channel and a blog with some interesting lay summaries of their research
• There’s a huge repository of online interactive maths at Mathigon.org, and Nico Disseldorp has put together some great interactive maths things at Science vs Magic
• If you’d like to let out your inner maths artist, the #MathArtChallenge includes a huge range of mathematical art activities

Events this month

• There’s a Maths Meets Arts festival happening next week, hosted by the University of Leicester
• The ICMS in Edinburgh is continuing to run its public lecture series online, including one from Nira Chamberlain next week
• The IMA is also running some of its branch talks online
• I’m running some puzzle events later in July with Ben Sparks, including Pints and Puzzles on a Thursday night, and a Maths Puzzles Tea Party on a Saturday afternoon
• For adults, don’t forget the monthly MathsJam which is still happening online.