The BEST way to improve at Maths

Hello math fans. Dr. Tom Crawford here. I teach math at both Oxford and Cambridge, and the question I'm asked most often is how do I improve at math? The simple answer is practice, which means solving math puzzles and reading about math as often as possible. And one of my favorite ways to do this is with the free Scientific American math newsletter, Proof Positive. At over 180 years old, Scientific American know what they're doing. Some of the most famous math puzzles of all time were published in the magazine, which was also the home of Martin Gardner's infamous mathematical games column. But, it's not just fun and games. Each newsletter also shares an everyday application of advanced mathematics. A recent addition discussed how Benford's law, the concept that in real-life data it is much more likely the numbers start with a one, is used to help tackle fraud. And the fact that there will always be at least two points on the Earth that have the same weather at any given moment in time. A lovely result courtesy of the Borsuk-Ulam theorem. Reading about math in context is the perfect way to help you to discover new topics to become your next obsession. And as for practicing your mathematical skills, then look no further than the puzzle section. I love nothing better than sitting down with a coffee and trying to see if I've still got it. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy receiving for free in your inbox, then just head to siam. com/proofpositive or click the link on screen to sign up. Happy mathing.