There are many types of mathematics. The brand of ‘school maths’ that dominates our schooling experiences is heavily based on calculation and execution of known procedures - they very skills that computers excel at.
As we usher in the era of smart machines, we need to embrace a different brand of mathematics, one that privileges our uniquely human thinking skills - those not so easily automated.
This course takes a hands-on approach to exploring these more creative aspects of mathematics. Through a mixture of games, puzzles and real-world examples, we will uncover several facets of mathematical intelligence that play to our human strengths and can help give us an edge over computers. We will see how, in the end, it is the combination of machine and human intelligence that trumps either one.
The following topics will be covered:
- The historical relationship between humans and technology, and why computers are to be embraced as tools to augment our thinking
- Our natural sense of number and why estimation comes more naturally to us than precise calculation
- The unflinching rigour of mathematical proofs…and how to construct them
- Mathematical card tricks and the art of not being fooled
- Graph theory and other products of our human curiosity
- P vs NP and the problems that lie beyond computation (also: how maths can make you a millionaire)
Participants will need only a passing knowledge of mathematics to GCSE standard.
The course will run for six 75-minute sessions, every Monday on:
- Mon 23 Jan
- Mon 30 Jan
- Mon 6 Feb
- Mon 13 Feb
- Mon 20 Feb
- Mon 27 Feb
The course costs £400 (£340 Ri Members and Patrons) for six sessions, including all course materials and refreshments. The course is for interest only, with no qualification, examination, or certificate of attendance at its conclusion. It is recommended for adults and young people aged 16 and over.
Junaid is a mathematician turned educator. He has spent the past decade working on innovative learning technologies and is currently partnering with bestselling science author Simon Singh to develop online maths programmes for students worldwide. He has a DPhil in maths from Oxford and a Master's in Education from Harvard, where he studied as a Kennedy Scholar. He once earned fleeting fame as a series winner of Countdown.
Junaid's latest book, 'Mathematical Intelligence: What We Have that Machines Don't', is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.