Peter Rowlett
peterrowlett.net
Peter Rowlett
@peterrowlett.net
I teach maths at a UK university and work as a maths communicator. Sheffield/Nottingham based. Aperiodical blog, Mathematical Objects podcast. Part of http://finitegroup.co.uk

peterrowlett.net
Excited that the next Finite Group livestream will be @mscroggs.co.uk giving the behind-the-scenes scoop on his 2025 Advent Calendar. Will what I did to solve the puzzles match what he expected people would do? Attend live and get your scroggsvent questions answered!

www.patreon.com/posts/upcomi...
Upcoming Livestream: Thursday 15th January, 11am GMT - Scroggsvent Revisited | Finite Group
Get more from Finite Group on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Reposted by Peter Rowlett
Having fun planning the next few livestream events for our online community for maths fans - join the Finite Group, and you can watch interesting people chat maths one hour a month, and be part of our Discord community all year round! finitegroup.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Realising that I am now actually the Editor of The Mathematical Gazette. I have been saying "I'm the next Editor, starting in 2026" for a while, but now it actually is 2026! Getting ready to publish my first issue in March.

www.tandfonline.com/journals/tmg...
Learn about The Mathematical Gazette
Learn about The Mathematical Gazette aims & scope, editorial board, journal metrics and more.
www.tandfonline.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:50 AM
New podcast episode: Mathematical Objects: Venn diagram with Keisha Thompson
Mathematical Objects: Venn diagram with Keisha Thompson
A conversation about mathematics inspired by a Venn diagram. Presented by Katie Steckles and Peter Rowlett, with special guest Keisha Thompson. Katie mentioned the MathForEquality badges and pins.
aperiodical.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:16 AM
Happy to report the 2026 game works.

So: place standard mathematical operators (+−×÷√!, that sort of thing) between 2, 0, 2, and 6, keeping the digits in order without concatenation, to make the numbers 0–10.

How many can you get?

#MathsToday
January 1, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Particularly mathematical New Years Honours 2026 - just a couple this year, anyone spot any more?

#MathsToday
Particularly mathematical New Years Honours 2026
The UK Government have announced the latest list of honours, and we’ve taken a look for the particularly mathematical entries. Here is the selection for this year – if you spot any more, let us kno…
aperiodical.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Merry Christmas!

I’ve enjoyed the @mscroggs.co.uk puzzle advent calendar - prizes to be won if you complete the puzzles this year www.mscroggs.co.uk

Something else I’ve enjoyed being part of: the Mathematically extra-complicated Secret Santa 2025 — @tomvii.bsky.social’s video:
youtu.be/4pG8_bWpmaE
Mathematically extra-complicated Secretest Santa 2025
YouTube video by suckerpinch
youtu.be
December 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
I wrote a puzzle in today’s Sunday Times. Also on the last page of this PDF: extras.thetimes.co.uk/web/public/p...
December 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
New Mathematical Objects podcast episode: @steckl.es tells me about the maths behind a slice of pizza!
Mathematical Objects: Slice of pizza
A conversation about mathematics inspired by a slice of pizza. Presented by Katie Steckles and Peter Rowlett.
aperiodical.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:41 AM
"Editor's Choice" 👀

Our paper exploring whether engineering students prefer maths problems in context or not is in the new issue of Teaching Mathematics and its Applications.

doi.org/10.1093/team...
December 11, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Peter Rowlett
As of Saturday just gone I'm a member of The British Society for the History of Mathematics's council. I was invited to join as someone who can provide a school teacher's viewpoint.

As such, I'm very interested to know who...

#Maths #History #HistoryOfMaths #MathsOfHistory #teacher #MathsToday
December 8, 2025 at 3:33 PM
You know that curve in the pattern of light in the bottom of your tea cup? @steckl.es and I speak to @dragondodo.bsky.social about cardioids!

New episode of the Mathematical Objects podcast.
Mathematical Objects: Cardioid with Dominika Vasilkova
A conversation about mathematics inspired by a light pattern in a tea cup. Presented by Katie Steckles and Peter Rowlett, with special guest Dominika Vasilkova. Cardioids in coffee cups – Cha…
aperiodical.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Reposted by Peter Rowlett
We'll be doing our final Finite Group Livestream of 2025 at noon uk time on 18th December - join me, @MScroggs.co.uk and @Ayliean.bsky.social for a festive feast of merry maths! Livestreams are for paid Finite Group members (from £4 a month, including some past recordings). Info at finitegroup.co.uk
Finite Group
Finite Group is a collective of cool maths people who want to have nice conversations about mathematical ideas.
finitegroup.co.uk
December 4, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I don’t know how these simple calculators work. My son has noticed if he repeatedly square roots, say, 0.7734 it converges on 0.9999998 but then just sits there. Why does it think √0.9999998=0.9999998?
December 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
“It's nearly Christmas and something terrible has happened…”

Time for the famous @mscroggs.co.uk www.mscroggs.co.uk advent calendar! Good fun — but am I too busy, or will I keep it going this year? Only time will tell!
December 1, 2025 at 7:56 AM
At work I’m greeted by the @chalkdustmag.bsky.social with my article in, to learn I’m one of the items listed on the cover - above Taylor Swift (but below microbes)!
November 21, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Hear me and @steckl.es chatting about ancient Roman dodecahedra. What are these objects, what are they for? Also we get distracted talking about Roman games.

It’s the new Mathematical Objects podcast!
aperiodical.com/2025/11/math...
Mathematical Objects: Roman dodecahedron
A conversation about mathematics, history, games and more, inspired by a Roman dodecahedron. Presented by Katie Steckles and Peter Rowlett.
aperiodical.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Oh! It’s new @chalkdustmag.bsky.social day - issue 22, and I’m in it counting game tiles for a couple of games found in charity shops.
How many tiles does this game have? - Chalkdust
Peter Rowlett gets in a tangle ... KNOT!
chalkdustmagazine.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Peter Rowlett
I had fun joining @peterrowlett.net and @steckl.es recently on their mathematical objects podcast, talking about my wood puzzle collection. Most of the time was spent struggling desperately to describe a highly visual topic in an audio-only context.

open.spotify.com/episode/0rRM...
Mathematical Objects: 3D wooden puzzle with Grant Sanderson
open.spotify.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
New season of Mathematical Objects opens with Grant Sanderson @3blue1brown.com sharing his love of 3D wooden puzzles with me and @steckl.es.

Get it here, or wherever you get podcasts:
Mathematical Objects: 3D wooden puzzle with Grant Sanderson
A conversation about mathematics inspired by a 3D wooden puzzle. Presented by Katie Steckles and Peter Rowlett, with special guest Grant Sanderson.
aperiodical.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Oh no
November 7, 2025 at 7:13 AM
My son, everybody.

#tmwyk #MathsToday
November 2, 2025 at 6:52 PM
In 1832 the new university in Durham had academics from Oxford as examiners to ensure standards were equivalent in their degrees, from where the practice spread.

I was first confirmed as an external examiner 10 years ago today. I’ve been external for 9 of the 10 years since at 3 universities.
October 30, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Reposted by Peter Rowlett
Excitingly, Today's the opening day of MathsWorld, the new hands-on maths museum in London. I've really enjoyed visiting MathsCity in Leeds, but they've now got a London location too! Details at mathsworld.com
MathsWorld – London’s new Museum of Mathematics
MathsWorld is an interactive museum in London with innovative hands-on exhibits that explore the beauty, wonder, and everyday relevance of mathematics for visitors of all ages.
mathsworld.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:01 AM
It’s Mathematics of Life week at New Scientist and my turn to write. I wrote about game theory and the evolution of cooperation in the iterative prisoner’s dilemma. In the magazine this weekend or on the website/app.
October 10, 2025 at 7:07 AM