Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 17h

You all loved SMILE = 1,913,091,205 this time around helping Numbers pull one back against Words. Latest scores are now @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social / Numbers 4 - 5 Words / @susiedent.com. It’s getting close again so make sure you vote for your favourite in round 10, coming soon!!

1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 1d

Graduate Dinner 2025 at St Edmund Hall with pre-dinner drinks in the college library (a converted church). A warm welcome to the University of Oxford to all Masters and PhD students - may your years here be enjoyable, academic, and of course as full of maths as possible!

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 2d

Such an incredible day at King’s School Macclesfield meeting all of the amazing students / future mathematicians. We talked Sports and Shapes with year 6, 7 and 8; the Maths of Pokémon with years 10 and 11; and Ocean Pollution with years 12 and 13. I hope you all had as much fun as I did!!

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 3d

ICYMI don't forget to watch part 1 of my collaboration with Dr PK Math where he solves a 7x7 determinant, and then watch part 2 where I solve a ridiculous problem with the most unexpected pi possible...

Part 2 is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJxa...

Ivy League Mathematician vs. Oxford Mathematician with @TomRocksMaths (Part 1)

YouTube video by Dr PK Math

www.youtube.com

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 4d

NEW VIDEO: Listen to 5x short talks from 5x Laureates covering Cryptography, Parallel Computing, Coding Mathematical Proofs, Constraint Problems and Programming Bugs, with yours truly as moderator. Enjoy :)

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeRg...

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 6d

Writing retreat done right. Thank you Jamaica for the inspiration and the 60,000 words of mathematical shenanigans that form the basis of my book. If you look closely you might spot a few sneak previews on my laptop… Excited to bring this to you all in 2026 :)

2

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 7d

Part II of the Winners Shortlist for the 2025 TRM Essay Competition is now available :)

From Star Wars to Pokemon; folding paper to folding space; fractals to formulae - there's something for everyone.

Overall winners to be announced next week, watch this space!

TRM Essay Competition 2025: Winners Shortlist Part II [Groups 9-17]

The 2025 Tom Rocks Maths Essay Competition in partnership with the Oxford University Lifelong Learning has reached its thrilling conclusion. After showcasing all 326 essays, across 17 groups, I hav…

tomrocksmaths.com

1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 8d

NEW VIDEO: Your new favourite series is back with more number facts and origins of words.

Round 9 sees words for colours from @susiedent.com, taking on happy numbers from @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social.

Vote for your winner here: forms.gle/drYjSgYVVqi3...

Numbers vs. Words Round 9: 1,913,091,205 vs. Orange

YouTube video by Tom Rocks Maths

www.youtube.com

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 9d

When you both love maths <3...

Watch the second Spark Session @hlforum.bsky.social to see talks from Jeff Dean & David Patterson on 'Shaping AI's Impact to Help Billions', and from Leslie Valiant on 'Education and Educability'.

A pleasure to moderate as always :)

HLF 12: Spark Session 2

Tom moderates the second Spark Session at the 12th Heidelberg Laureate Forum, with talks from laureates in Maths and Computer Science. Jeffrey A. Dean and David A. Patterson: Shaping AI’s Impact to…

tomrocksmaths.com

1 1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 10d

A fun Q&A for the @robinsoncollege.bsky.social Bin Brook magazine - discover the greatest influence on my approach to teaching; the subjects I found most difficult at university; advice for my younger self; and my favourite maths joke...

Bin Brook: Robinson College Magazine Q&A

Tom takes part in a Q&A with the Robinson College communications team about his career to date and what the future of mathematics might hold. You can find the original article on page 12 of the…

tomrocksmaths.com

1 1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 11d

NEW VIDEO: Watch 5 short talks from 2x Turing award recipients, 3x ACM Prize in Computing awardees, and 1x Nevanlinna Prize recipient in the first Spark Session ‪at the 12th Heidelberg Laureate Forum.

I had the pleasure of moderating this fantastic group of speakers - enjoy :)

Spark Session | September 15

YouTube video by Heidelberg Laureate Forum

www.youtube.com

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 13d

Sanjeev Arora - 2011 ACM Prize in Computing and #1 ranked student in the 1986 IIT JEE (said to be the hardest exam in the world). We talked all things AI, the future of mathematics, and top tips for anyone studying for the JEE. Full video coming soon - watch this space :)

Reposted by Dr Tom Crawford

Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social · 14d

Happy Birthday to us! 🎉🥳

Today marks our 147th birthday as Oxford University's 'secret treasure'. 🎂

To celebrate, share one of your favourite moments from studying with us in the comments!

📸 Thank you so much to Christ Church for capturing this wonderful speech from the Vice Chancellor.
@ox.ac.uk

2 1 4

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 14d

NEW VIDEO: A double header for you today with the premiere of Part 1 on Dr PK Math from 4:30pm (GMT+1) and Part 2 on my channel from 5pm (GMT+1).

Watch me calculate the determinant of the integral of the exponential of a matrix - yes, you read that correctly...

See you in the live chat!

Exponential Matrix Integration with @drpkmath12345

YouTube video by Tom Rocks Maths

youtu.be

1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 15d

Great to see YouTube and the UK Creator Economy featured in the news today with the release of a report from Oxford Economics - but did you spot a familiar face in the "Shared Learning" section? Love seeing maths front and centre :)

2

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 17d

NEW VIDEO: Watch Part 2 of the 'Maths vs. Physics' collab with Z-Physics where I set Zhelyo a question from the International Maths Olympiad...

How will the Physicist cope with a difficult Maths problem? Watch at the link below to find out!

Oxford University Mathematician TORTURES me with International Math Olympiad

YouTube video by ZPhysics

www.youtube.com

1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 17d

If you’re applying for Maths @ox.ac.uk or @cam.ac.uk then here are my college choices…

Oxford - @stedmundhall.bsky.social: I teach 1st year and 2nd years.

Cambridge - Robinson I teach 1st and 2nd years.

Best of luck with your applications and hopefully see you in Oxford/Cambridge very soon!

1 3

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 19d

David Silver - 2019 ACM Prize in Computing for “breakthrough advances in computer game-playing” (yes that is the real citation).

Remember when AlphaGo beat the world champion at Go? It was David and his team. Seriously cool work and seriously cool person. Full video coming soon!

3

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 20d

Final night dinner ⁠at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum - taking selfies with Vint Cerf (2005 Turing Award); 23 signatures from Laureates in Maths and Computer Science; beautiful views of Heidelberg Castle; and meeting Amanda Randles (2023 ACM Prize in Computing). What a night!

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 21d

Pat Hanrahan - 2019 Turing Award; 1993, 2004, 2014 Academy Awards. Will there ever be anyone else that completes the duo of the most prestigious prize in an academic field alongside multiple Oscars?

Unreal achievements from the architect of computer animation and the GOAT of computer graphics.

1 1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 22d

NEW VIDEO: Maths vs Physics (the rematch).

Zhelyo Physics challenges me to solve a question from the International Physics Olympiad - in his words, the hardest physics competition in existence.

Join the premiere today at 4pm (GMT+1) to see how I get on...

Can an Oxford Mathematician solve a PHYSICS Olympiad Problem? (with @zhelyo_physics)

YouTube video by Tom Rocks Maths

www.youtube.com

1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 23d

printf("hello, maths fans")

@cs50.harvard.edu is back in the UK with the full course running online @oxlifelonglearning.bsky.social and a live version of the CS50 Puzzle Day at Meta London.

Full information - and sign-up - at the link below.

CS50 at Oxford 2025-26

Harvard’s famed CS50 course is back in the UK in 2025-26 with 4 options for you to enjoy: CS50 UK Puzzle Day at Meta London – 10th October 2025 CS50 at Oxford University (Online – 12 weeks) –…

tomrocksmaths.com

1 2

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 24d

Back @hlforum.bsky.social talking maths with young researchers and having fancy dinners at German Palaces. The sessions I’m moderating will be available online later this week so watch this space for lectures from the leading names in Maths and Computer Science. Every day’s a school day :)

1 1

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 25d

The comeback begins (again). Round 8 goes to Numbers and the story of Ramunjan and 1729 - sorry @susiedent.com.

Look out for Round 9 next week and don't forget you can watch them all here if you've missed any so far: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Dr Tom Crawford @tomrocksmaths.bsky.social · 26d

Having a great time at the IMTA Conference telling my favourite story about the discovery of the Platonic Solids to a room of over 200 Irish Maths Teachers. Though as anyone who’s seen my talk will know, they really should be called the “Theaetetan Solids”…