No.127
No.125
Nick MacKinnon (Co Ro, 86-) surveys the Mathmā Department
1957-2019
Question
1.
May
May 2019
2018
Make x the subject:
y = 3
Like Desert Island Discs, this memoir of the Mathmā department will be punctuated
anecdote, but instead of snatches of Prokofiev and the Arctic Monkeys, it will have eight
questions from the JP Christmas exams. Stephen Hawking was told that every equation in A
That’s got it down to 64. I had a vertigino
Brief History of Time would halve his readership, and since the Editor reckons on my having
I’d asked
128 readers at this point, I shall dispatch the last one with Question
8. my JP set Question 1, which Jul
Nick MacKinnon (Co Ro, 86-) surveys
both
sides
from
3, divide
sides and would
QUESTION 1
Winchester
way
with both
algebra,
the Mathmā Department.
into
1,
subtract
both
sides
from
2,
1
(G) was
smiling
like
a Buddha
on the bac
y = 3 −
Question 1. Make x the subject:
divide
both
sides
into
2,
subtract
both
Like Desert Island Discs, this memoir
2 − 2 3
sides
from 1,
divide
both
sides
3. both sid
Subtract
both
sides
from
3, into
divide
1 − x
of the Mathmā department will be
So that will be
punctuated anecdote, but instead of
sides into 2, subtract both sides from 1, di
That’s got it down to 64. I had
snatches of Prokofiev and the Arctic
’ Half.
That’s got it a down
to
64.
I
had
a
vertiginous
experience
at
the
beginning
3 of this Short
vertiginous experience at the
Monkeys, it will have eight questions
=
x
.
’ ‘Gosh, you’ve learned
I’d asked my beginning
JP set Question
1, Short
which Julian
Havil (Co Ro, 75-08) designed
to reward the
2
of this
Half. I’d
from the JP Christmas exams.
1
−
1 schools. Seb Walsh
asked my JP set Question 1, which
Winchester
− 3 −
Stephen Hawking was told that
every way with algebra, and would be, I think, unsolvable in 2 most
y
Julian
Havil
(Co
Ro,
75-08)
designed
(G) was smiling like a Buddha on the back row so I asked him to talk us through it. ‘Yes sir.
equation in A Brief History of Time
‘Gosh,
you’ve
learned that
very Next hour, ha
to reward the Winchester way with
Winchester
too.’
would halve his readership, and
since both sides from 3, divide both sides into 1, subtract He
Subtract
both was
sides at from
2, divide both
quickly.’ ‘My father taught me
algebra, and would be, I think,
the Editor reckons on my having
128
sides
into 2, unsolvable
subtract both in
sides
from
1, divide
both sides into
3. So ‘Durran,
that
been
and
someone too.’
called the Fun
algebra.
He will
was be
at
Winchester
most
schools.
Seb
readers at this point, I shall dispatch 3
Walsh
(G)
was
smiling
like
a
Buddha
Next
hour,
having
been
asked,
he
= x . ’ ‘Gosh, you’ve learned that very quickly.’
‘My father taught me algebra.
time.
the last one with Question 8.
2
on the back row so I asked him to
told
me his father’s teachers had been
1 −
1
2 − 3 −
y talk us through it. ‘Yes sir. Subtract
‘Durran, and someone called the
Funky
I suddenly
I had
I me
arrived
at Winchester
1986
in the mid
He was at Winchester too.’ Next hour, having asked, he told
his Preacher.’
father’s
teachers
had in felt
been here a long time.
been ‘Durran, and someone called the Funky Preacher.’ I suddenly
felt
I
had
been
here
a
long
generation of the Walsh family, and the w
I arrived at Winchester in 1986 in the
time.
from bad
methods
is They
associated for m
middle
of the
Algebra and
Wars.
were
to span
a generation
the
Simon
Bolivar;
and the of cigar-smoking
and
I arrived at Winchester in 1986 in the middle of the Algebra Wars. They were to span a
Walsh family, and the whole of my
Denmead
(75-06),
a.k.a. the Funky
generation of the Walsh family, and the whole of my own career.
It was a Smith
own career.
It war
was of a liberation
war of liberation
from bad methods and is associated for me with two titans: from
John
Durran
(60-92)
was is
our associated
bad methods
and
sanctioned
mathematics,
and the enemy w
for me was
with
titans:
John Durran
Simon Bolivar; and the cigar-smoking and bearded Che Guevara
the two
Revd
Dr John
was the
our
Simon Bolivar;
Denmead Smith (75-06), a.k.a. the Funky Preacher. Against (60-92)
them was
apparatus
of state- and
1.a
Simon
Bolivar
the
cigar-smoking
and
bearded Che
sanctioned mathematics, and the enemy was within.
Guevara was the Revd Dr John
Denmead Smith (75-06), a.k.a. the
1.a Simon Bolivar
The Algebra
played
Funky
Preacher. Wars
Against
them out
was against the r
the
of state-sanctioned
and apparatus
Wykehamists
from the heroic phase in
mathematics,
and
the enemy
The Algebra Wars played out against the revolutionary fervour
of the School
Maths
Project, was
of Sputnik
in 1957 The
revealed
and Wykehamists from the heroic phase in the 60s and 70s within.
were
on the frontline.
launch a mathematic
The Algebra Wars: Mathmā 1957–2019
Thwaites
41-42;
Co
Ro, 51-59) called
of Sputnik in 1957 revealed a mathematics gap between Britain
and
the (C,
Soviet
Union.
Bryan
The
Algebra
Wars
played
out
the revolutionary
fervour
Thwaites (C, 41-42; Co Ro, 51-59) called a meeting and his against
group decided
to Since
rebuild the
school
mathematics.
fundamental conc
of
the
School
Maths
Project,
and
mathematics. Since the fundamental concept in the axiomatic
development
of
mathematics
is
the empty set,
four-year-olds
on SMP wou
Wykehamists
from
the heroic phase
the empty set, four-year-olds on SMP would start with the empty set too, rather than the
Mathmā Class - sketch by
in the 60s and 70s were on the
frontline. The launch of Sputnik
David Gentleman in Win Coll Treasury
1