Maths in the City

'Maths in the City' aims to highlight the fundamental role that maths plays in society by viewing the urban environment in a mathematical way. Conventionally, the urban environment is used to explore local history, architecture and culture - but it can also provide us with adventures in mathematics.As part of this project we will develop and run guided mathematical walking tours of Oxford and the East End of London. Devised by young mathematicians, and drawing upon the professional expertise of architects and project engineers, the tours will provide the general public with an opportunity to interact with practicing mathematicians and discover that maths is all around them. By exploring our environment - architecture, engineering, transport systems and nature - through the eyes of a mathematician, people will be able to more readily link mathematics with the real-world in a meaningful and creative way.Supporting material will be developed, including printable tour 'guide books' and an interactive project website that will host further explanations of mathematic concepts and examples of maths in the urban environment, multimedia and virtual versions of the Oxford and London tours. The interactive website will be moderated by mathematicians to encourage dialogue with the public via an online forum (with Web2.0 style commenting features) and upload area to enable the public to post comments, questions and their own examples of maths in the urban environment. Separately, with the guidance of teachers we will adapt the tours and supporting information for use by schools and will run several tours for schools.The project will encourage young mathematicians to enhance their public engagement skills and equip them specifically to guide the maths walking tours.

The main beneficiaries of the project are the general public, who will engage with mathematicians on the guided walking tours in Oxford and London as well as via the interactive project website. By exploring maths in the urban environment and nature we hope to demonstrate, in a creative and interactive way, the important role mathematics plays in society. Because mathematical principles are embedded in the urban environment the tours will help people to connect mathematical concepts with day-to-day life. The project also has significant potential for benefiting those who we seek to engage as project partners - architects, project engineers and schools. We anticipate that the project will provide architects and project engineers with a means of improving the public perception of their respective professions, and organisations, and the role that maths plays in their everyday work. Depending upon their level of involvement, it could also enhance their public engagement skills. Furthermore, through the involvement of teachers and schools in the project, a set of maths tours and resources will be specifically created and tailored for school use. Importantly, the project will help develop the next generation of maths ambassadors/science communicators. A number of undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics students - who are already involved in public engagement activities with Marcus - will further develop their skills in public engagement and learn how to convey mathematical concepts in an accessible and interactive way to the public. We anticipate that the wider research community will also benefit from the project, by providing other researchers (in maths and engineering) with a framework for similar public outreach/engagement projects. Mathematical walking tours - or virtual tours - could be developed for other cities around the world and that this concept could also be applied beyond the urban environment to demonstrate the role of maths in other areas/disciplines (e.g. maths in medicine, maths in art, maths in music, maths of ICT, etc.). The long term impacts of the project are difficult to predict, but we certainly hope that more people will be inspired to see maths in a new light and appreciate the fundamental role that it plays in their everyday lives. The tangible resources developed as part of this project will be available for wider use by the general public, schools, mathematicians and other researchers for public engagement. Furthermore, we hope to be able to embed this project into the University's outreach and widening participation programmes. We also hope that the young mathematicians engaged in this project will be encouraged to continue to act as maths ambassadors and develop evermore creative and interactive public engagement activities in the future.