Mathematics Podcasts

The Department welcomed members of the public by the hundreds to this year’s Open Day, 14 November. Guests attended 33 events – short lectures, workshops, informational sessions and walking tours – all free of charge. Here is a small selection of the events that happened on the day. Professor Marcus du Sautoy – mathematician, footballer […]

Have you ever asked yourself, “What are the odds?” Brishette Mendoza hosts this fun and engaging podcast for anyone interested in this classic question as it applies to a variety of everyday topics, social issues and fascinating oddities. Areas of exploration include science, health, travel, crime, politics, education, economics and much more. Are you taste […]

The study of populations and demographics is explained in detail in this introductory series by Professor David Coleman, Professor of Demography. Using statistics gathered from censuses, parish records and other sources, Professor Coleman looks at the ways in which populations rise and fall through history. This series is at an introductory level and individuals need […]

A collection of audio and video resources of lectures, seminars and presentations from the Department’s mathematical, physical and life sciences programmes.

Irregular updates from the Maths, Stats and OR Network on the Mathematical Sciences HE Curriculum Innovation Project, part of the National HE STEM Programme. This project aims to explore current learning, teaching and assessment practices within mathematical sciences departments, and disseminate good practice.

New podcast weblog about statistics

Audio files from the project Being a Professional Mathematician, which produced worksheets and other resources for the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. www.beingamathematician.org

Lecture Videos for the iPod

This unit shows how partial differential equations can be used to model phenomena such as waves and heat transfer. The prerequisite requirements to gain full advantage from this unit are an understanding of ordinary differential equations and basic familiarity with partial differential equations. This study unit is just one of many that can be found […]

This unit introduces the topic of vectors. The subject is developed without assuming you have come across it before, but the unit assumes that you have previously had a basic grounding in algebra and trigonometry, and how to use Cartesian coordinates for specifying a point in a plane. This study unit is just one of […]

This unit is intended to further develop your understanding of Newtonian mechanics in relation to oscillating systems. In addition to a basic grounding in solving systems of differential equations, this unit assumes that you have some understanding of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, […]

This unit focuses on your initial encounters with research. It invites you to think about how perceptions of mathematics have influenced you in your prior learning, your teaching and the attitudes of learners. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection of open educational […]

Your course might not include any maths or technical content but, at some point during your course, it’s likely that you’ll come across information represented in charts, graphs and tables. You’ll be expected to know how to interpret this information. This unit will help you to develop the skills you need to do this. This […]

In our everyday lives we use we use language to develop ideas and to communicate them to other people. In this unit we examine ways in which language is adapted to express mathematical ideas. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection of open […]

Motion is vital to life, and to science. This unit will help you to understand why classical motion is probably the most fundamental part of physics. You will examine motion along a line and the ways in which such motion can be represented, through the use of graphs, equations and differential calculus. This study unit […]

Attempts to answer problems in areas as diverse as science, technology and economics involve solving simultaneous linear equations. In this unit we look at some of the equations that represent points, lines and planes in mathematics. We explore concepts such as Euclidean space, vectors, dot products and conics. This study unit is just one of […]

This unit explores reasons for studying mathematics, practical applications of mathematical ideas and aims to help you to recognise mathematics when you come across it. It introduces the you to the graphics calculator, and takes you through a series of exercises from the Calculator Book, Tapping into Mathematics With the TI-83 Graphics Calculator. This study […]

Geometry is concerned with the various aspects of size, shape and space. In this unit, you will explore the concepts of angles, shapes, symmetry, area and volume through interactive activities. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection of open educational resources from The […]

This unit is designed to help those working with children between the ages of 3 and 8. You will be encouraged to explore your knowledge, feelings and attitudes in language, mathematics and science in order to understand the place that these subjects have in the life of both individuals and society as a whole. This […]

This unit looks at visualisation as it relates to mathematics, focusing upon how it can be used to improve learning. It will also identify ways in which to make more use of visualisation within the classroom. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection […]

Sometimes the best way to understand a set of data is to sketch a simple graph. This exercise can reveal hidden trends and meanings not clear from just looking at the numbers. In this unit you will review the various approaches to sketching graphs and learn some more advanced techniques. This study unit is just […]

Scotsman John Napier is best known to for his treatise on Protestant religion. However, it was his interest in a completely different subject that radically altered the course of mathematics. After forty years of dabbling in maths, he revealed his table of logarithms in the early 17th century. This study unit is just one of […]

This unit introduces the topic of differential equations. The subject is developed without assuming that you have come across it before, but it is taken for granted that you have a basic grounding in calculus. In particular, you will need to have a good grasp of the basic rules for differentiation and integration. This study […]

Graphs are a common way of presenting information. However, like any other type of representation, graphs rely on shared understandings of symbols and styles to convey meaning. Also, graphs are normally drawn specifically with the intention of presenting information in a particularly favourable or unfavourable light, to convince you of an argument or to influence […]

Maths in movies has often been used creatively as a method by which to engage students in formulas and numerical theory. The 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz features a maze of potential mathematical problems – not least the Scarecrow’s incorrect pronunciation of Pythagoras’ theorem. Presented by The Open University’s David Brannan and Phil Rippon, […]

This podcast is designed to help students with their mental mathematics. Each episode has two parts, a video tutorial and a audio quiz. First watch the video tutorial, then have a go at the quiz. Disclamer: All content in this podcast is my own and is to be used as you see fit. Although every […]

Professor of Mathematics Marcus du Sautoy reveals the personalities behind the calculations and argues that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science.

How does an ice skater rotate so effortlessly on ice? What are the forces at play? How do they keep spinning? And more importantly, how do they stop? The tracks on this album use a variety of sports ranging from Ice Skating to the Highland Games to illustrate the nature of rotating bodies, looking in […]

Visiting a hospital you’d expect to find doctors and nurses, but what about mathematicians? This album illustrates how mathematics is used throughout the Whittington Hospital in London, as well as in every day life. This material forms part of the course MU120 Open mathematics.

Visiting a hospital you’d expect to find doctors and nurses, but what about mathematicians? This album illustrates how mathematics is used throughout the Whittington Hospital in London, as well as in every day life. This material forms part of the course MU120 Open mathematics.

This Video PodCast is all about Math. Our Video PodCast will cover a big range of topics in Elementary Mathematics accessible to the majority of the students with some mathematical inclinations. The Video PodCast will also try to be inspirational for the non mathematically bend. Sometimes problems will be set.

This is a podcast created by middle school students to help others with difficult topics in algebra.

This video demonstrate the process of using the Pythagorean Theorem. It is a somewhat simple formula used to determine the missing length of a right triangle. The formula is a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

What does mathematics have to do with nature or art? The video tracks in this album trace the origin of the mathematics of chaos and describe how the chance discovery of fractals became the basis for some real – and revolutionary – commercial applications such as the fax and the modem. A closer look at […]

Open University researcher Jeff Johnson talks of the importance of the Science of Complex Systems as a means to unravel real-world, complex problems that cannot be tackled by conventional reductive methods. Using Bird Flu as an example he demonstrates how complex systems thinking allows researchers to approach problems in novel ways.

dansmathcast is a math variety show about the vast subject of mathematics. dan will podcast twice a month with feature stories, challenge problems, and clear explanations of the beautiful world of math. check out www.dansmath.com for podcast details, free lessons, problem contests, and other goodies!

Professor Ian Stewart presents a short history of symmetry and how this concept relates to mathematics, physics and the universe around us.