“Simplicity and complexity” by Professor John Barrow and “Fractals: the new geometry” by Professor Kenneth Falconer will be examined at this year’s popular lectures from the London Mathematical Society. They will be given at Leeds University, June 5, 6.30-9pm (free tickets from Dr Allenby, tel: 0113 233 5122; e-mail: pmt6ra@leeds.ac.uk); Strathclyde University, June 14, 2-4.30pm, free admission (contact Professor McBride,tel: 0141 548 36473416; e-mail: a.c.mcbride@strath.ac.uk); and the Institute of Education, London WC1, June 28, 7-9.30pm (send SAE for free tickets to Susan Oakes, LMS, De Morgan House, 57-58 Russell Square, London WC1; e-mail: lms@lms.ac.uk)
The Avon branch of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics is running a session devoted to the best ideas, problems and handouts from this year’s annual ATM conference. “Ideas from conference for your classroom” will be held on June 7 in Room 410 at the University of Bristol Graduate School of Education, 35 Berkeley Square, Clifton, 6-7.30pm. Free parking. pound;1 for refreshments appreciated. Details: Alf Coles, tel: 0117 924 1273.
Willing participants will give a 10-minute talk on a favourite maths lesson, topic or problem that has gone well at “Good mathematics teaching: one that went well” at the Pennine Lecture Theatre, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, June 24. An electronic version of all presentations will be collated beforehand and handed out to all ttendees. Fee: pound;15. Details: Dr Dick Pitt, tel: 0114 225 3935.E-mail: d.a.pitt@shu.ac.uk
The Oware Society is keen to get more schools involved in its international tournaments and events fixtures (Oware is a mathematical board game invented by Africans along the Nile valley around 3500BC). The third national school team championships (the Belleville Oware Cup) are being held on May 21 at Mwalimu Express, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4, but if that’s too short notice you can catch the Oware educational exhibition at Burges Park, Southwark Global Village, London SE1, July 16, or the third Lambeth Fields Tournament, London SE1, on July 22-23. Tel: 020 8265 9905.E-mail: Oware.trew@virgin.net
“Number crunching: an exploration of the magic and power of numbers”, an interactive exhibition at the Livesey Museum for Children, Old Kent Road, London SE15, runs until September 1. Exhibits and displays aimed at key stages 1 and 2 include: The Room of Chance, containing games illustrating the theory of probability, originally developed by gamblers, and a shop where children can explore people’s shopping habits through the ages and become the shopkeeper, the stocktaker or the consumer. There is also a music room and areas devoted to calculation interactives from the giant abacus to the brain. Related workshops examine the relevance of numbers to everyday life and there are sessions for under fives. Tel: 020 7639 5604.
