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James Munro

@jamesmunromaths.bsky.social

150 followers 130 following 63 posts

Admissions and Outreach Coordinator for Maths at Oxford University. Also does maths comm outside of work! Opinions his own. Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jamesmunro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jamesmunro Maths Club: https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/r/club

www.twitch.tv

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Reposted by James Munro

Claire Metcalfe @cxmetcalfe.bsky.social · Sep 1

New academic year, new Step Support Programme website!

Over the summer we have updated our website, had a bit of a tidy up, and added some new content.

One of the new features is a "Check in test' for students who have completed the foundation modules complete with marksheme.

maths.org/step/

Home | STEP Support Programme

maths.org

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Aug 30

Laura has very helpfully put instructions on her website, I can't wait to make them when I get home! warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/math... and scroll down to "a pair of hyperbolic paraboloids".

Laura Bradby

warwick.ac.uk

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Aug 28

Yesterday I saw a question here about mixed partial derivatives and it got me thinking about how a surface might or might not have d^2 f / dx dy = 0 if we rotate it. Today I saw these two ruled surfaces at #TMiP25 made by Laura Bradby. No such thing as coincidence in maths!

Two ruled surfaces (in this case, a hyperbolic paraboloid, like a Pringle crisp). Each is made of a collection of cross-sections in two colours, criss-crossing each other at right-angles. At first glance they're different; one has cross-sections aligned with the curvature and for the other they're at 45 degrees. But the surface is the same!

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Reposted by James Munro

Oxford Mathematics @oxfordmathematics.bsky.social · Jul 24

Our much missed colleague Vicky Neale wanted to tell the world about maths. So who better for the second Vicky Neale Public Lecture than Simon Singh who has spent a career doing just that.

Wednesday 6 August, 5pm, Oxford. Online three weeks later. More info: www.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/72339

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jul 16

🚨🍩 Torus alert!! 🍩🚨

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jul 16

No, I've got no idea whether this is true or not, sorry.

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jul 8

The University of Oxford is aware of the complaints. Have you approached Ofqual? ^James

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jul 1

You might be interested in the way the New Yorker handles this www.newyorker.com/culture/cult...

The Curse of the Diaeresis

www.newyorker.com

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 30

I'm imagining a number like 9.499999999997, with so many 9s in the middle that the calculator gives up and rounds this to 9.5, which begins 9.5. I've interpreted the question as being about the difference between the true answer and what the calculator says, which is probably not intended.

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 30

I don't know any procedures for this, but my answer depends on the number of digits the calculator has (my lower bound is slightly below 9.5 to allow for some tiny amount of rounding, and similarly at the other end). Am I supposed to imagine a calculator that doesn't round?

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Reposted by James Munro

Talking Maths in Public @tmip.bsky.social · Jun 25

The MEGA Grant is a bursary scheme for maths communicators who want to put together large-scale, hands-on interactive maths events and this year's closing date is 22/7. If you have a cool idea and just need some support and £££ to make it happen, visit: tmip.uk/mega-grant

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 12

All that tech and all that prep and I still forgot to unmute myself at the start haha ^James

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 12

In #MathsToday we've started the MAT Livestream again; free online support for people thinking of applying for Maths or CS at university (and especially Oxford). See www.maths.ox.ac.uk/r/matlive for more! ^James

Two computer screens, and a mess of tech peripherals like a tablet and microphone and a mini stream deck. One screen says MAT Livestream 2025 in large letters.

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 10

Thanks Emily! ^James

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Jun 7

I'm not a primary or secondary teacher, but I'm interested in this! Why do you think the question says "on average"? The intention seems to be for children to just ignore those two words? But that bit is interesting to me because in general E(1/X) isn't 1/E(X)! Of course, KS2 kids don't know that...

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · May 29

Love the choice to use (2,0) instead of (1,0) and similarly on the y-axis. What changes if it's not convex? (Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the same answer in terms of a and b)

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · May 10

Templeton is attempting the Table Cubes activity; there are nine dice, each with four numbers written on them, and they can be arranged to show 9 times table, or the 8 times table, and so on down to the 1 times table. Activity adapted from magicmathworks.org/oldsite/exhi...

Magic Mathworks Info Sheet Tables Race

magicmathworks.org

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · May 10

Maths for everyone at the Oxford Maths Festival, even dragons! #MathsToday

A large red dragon mascot (wearing a T-shirt identifying him as the mascot for Templars Square shopping centre) attempts a maths activity with dice at the Oxford Maths Festival.

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · May 8

ta v cool

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · May 7

Exciting! Do you know how much of the £8.2m is going to support girls' mathematics education? In the video you say "part of this funding". Is it a large part?

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Apr 30

Nice! Do you want feedback / bug reports on this web version?

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Apr 29

Come and work with us! We've just advertised a new post in the Oxford Mathematics outreach team, on a project that I'm really excited about. We're looking for someone to work on Mathematics resources to educate, challenge, and inspire students in KS4 or equivalent. Info & apply at bit.ly/3Ykps7q

bit.ly

James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Apr 25

Update; the Further Reading notes are now live, including links to books by Simon Singh, Borges, and Georges Perec. Also including a description of my incredibly stupid one-symbol code. Finite strings are countable, y'know... www.maths.ox.ac.uk/outreach/oxf... #MathsToday

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Apr 25

We got to talk to Ayliean about Morse Code for an hour! So much fun :)

Ayliean @ayliean.bsky.social · Apr 24

Oxford Online Maths Club let me nerd out about Morse Code for an hour! So much fun :)

www.youtube.com/live/YzBUNRr...

Morse Code with Ayliean | OOMC S10ep0

YouTube video by Oxford Mathematics Plus

www.youtube.com

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James Munro @jamesmunromaths.bsky.social · Apr 24

Store of one delight : I like |z+1/z|=2, which I first saw on an Oxford Maths problem sheet courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/course/view....

Course: Introduction to Complex Numbers (2024-25) | Mathematical Institute

courses.maths.ox.ac.uk

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