Mathematics research on film
Maths isn’t just about numbers on a page - it’s about shapes, patterns, logic and beauty all around us. In each episode of MathsCraft, expert mathematicians from the University of Bristol use playful crafting activities that you can try at home to explore real mathematical concept.
Nose, knots and topology
Put your fist in your hand (or your hand in your fist?), now touch your nose, but don't get in a twist. Márton Balázs, Professor in the School of Mathematics, shows us that even the simplest knots can lead to the stickiest of tangles if we're not careful.
How many triangles can you draw with three straight lines?
Dr Henna Koivusalo, Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics, challenges us to see how many triangles we can create. The answer might surprise you!
A mathematician's Christmas bauble
Do you know how to make a neat cube from a flat piece of paper? How about how to turn an ordinary two-sided piece of paper into a one-sided Möbius strip? Whether you want to add a dimension or take away a side, Dr Rachael Carey, Lecturer in the School of Mathematics, will show you how to do both with the help of just a little bit of Christmas magic!
Shadow art
How can a shape be round and square at the same time? And also tell you the time? Dr Henna Koivusalo, Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics, explains how the same shape can cast different shadows - and how this led to the concept of a digital sundial by mathematician Professor Kenneth Falconer CBE when working at the University of Bristol.
Making a pentagon and a pop-up dodecahedron
A dodecahedron has 12 faces, 20 corners and 60 angles to deal with, so you really don’t want to have to pull out the protractor to make one. Harsh Patil, PhD student in the School of Mathematics, will save you a day or three by showing how to make a dodecahedron using just 3 pieces of paper and an elastic band to hold it all together - no ruler, no protractor and no sweat.
Fractal postcard
Fractals are patterns which form complicated - and beautiful - fine details from repeated application of simple rules. A tree shape comes from a trunk split into branches, those branches into smaller branches, and those smaller branches into twigs. Dr Florian Bouyer, Lecturer in the School of Mathematics, will show how you can use this idea to impress your friends by making an intricate pop-up postcard while remembering and repeating just one simple step.