teddy rocks maths essay competition 2022

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition

2021 entries

Launched in February 2020, the Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition is a joint venture between Tom Rocks Maths and St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, which asks high-school students to explain their favourite mathematical topic in an essay aimed at a non-specialist audience. The hope is to give them experience in communicating complex ideas in an understandable manner and also to encourage them to engage with maths beyond the classroom.

The 2021 winners have been announced!

With over 130 entries, the competition was fierce not only in terms of numbers, but also in terms of quality (as you can see from the rather extended list of commended entries). It was an absolute pleasure to read each and every one of your essays – they were engaging, exciting, entertaining, and I learned so much about so many diverse areas of mathematics I had never previously thought about. I hope you all enjoyed the process of writing your essays as much as I enjoyed reading them and your passion for maths burns brighter than ever. A huge thank you once again for taking part, and I look forward to hearing more from each of you as you continue to develop as mathematicians. – Tom Crawford

Student Winner

Caitlin Moeran: The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in Art

A well-written and thought-provoking look at the work of famous artists through the lens of mathematics. Not only do we learn of the links between maths and art, but also the details of the mathematics that helps to make the paintings so appealing to the human eye.

Read Caitlin’s winning essay

Overall Winner

Rick Chen: Into the World of Roulettes

An insightful and entertaining look at a lesser-known branch of mathematics. Beginning with a simple geometrical example, we see how the theory of roulettes can be developed with the tools of calculus to solve some of the most fundamental problems in nature – such as that of the shape of a hanging chain and the fastest path under gravity.

Read Rick’s winning essay

College Choice Award

New for 2021, the College Choice Award is an additional bonus prize chosen by St Edmund Hall from the list of honourable mentions.

Megan Thomson: The Tower of Hanoi

A traditional problem cleverly explained, and developed further to show its connection to other branches of mathematics. The informal tone and friendly voice of the writing really helped to engage the reader – I know I was certainly left wanting to read more!

Read Megan’s Winning Essay

Honourable Mentions

Arushi Ramaiya: Does the way we speak about maths affect our perception of numbers?

An enlightening and interesting look at a topic I had never previously considered.

Ellis McKenzie: The Lorentz system and why truth is always stranger than fiction

An exceptional use of visuals and interactive tools to help to bring the subject matter to life.

Gavin Bala: A brief exposé of p-adics

An advanced area of maths which is well-explained with an innate sense of curiosity throughout.

Lola Barron: Prime Numbers – what we know

The history of prime numbers explained better than any textbook I have ever read!

Nicolas Wiedersheim: Elo and Glicko standardised rating systems

A very informative account of a topic I had no previous knowledge of – I learned a lot!

Philip Kimber: Maps and Projections

Interesting from both a mathematical and historical perspective in equal measure.

Rita Di Ciancia: The Mathematician and the Artist

An incredibly thorough piece of writing that could easily be found in an academic journal.

Ted Fussell: Turing Machines: the death of formalism and the birth of Computer Science

A fascinating look at how mathematics gave birth to the field of Computer Science.

Yashvir Tibrewal: Interesting Shapes

A difficult branch of mathematics explained with clarity and helpful visuals to aid the learning process.

Read all the submitted essays

Many thanks to everyone who took part and remember the competition will be running again in early 2022!

Read the 2020 entries

Tom Rocks Maths: Essay Competition 2024

This competition is now closed.

This exciting competition asks students of all ages and abilities to explain their favourite mathematical topic in an essay aimed at a non-specialist audience. Originally launched in 2020 as a partnership between Tom Rocks Maths and St Edmund Hall, the competition aims to provide the participants with the opportunity to communicate complex ideas in an understandable manner, and to encourage them to engage with maths beyond any curriculum. 

Competition details

There are no eligibility requirements, all you need is a passion for maths and a flair for writing to participate! The closing date is  Monday 1st April 2024  and the showcase of entries (including the announcement of the winners) will take place throughout summer 2024. 

There are two strands of entry:

• 16-18's (student); and
• Over 18's (adult)

Please note: A ‘student' is defined as anyone who is still studying full-time at school or college, university students fall into the ‘adult’' category.

There is no word limit for the essays, but as a guideline 1000-2000 words is sufficient. All entries must be submitted using the online form as PDF or Microsoft Word documents.

The winners will be selected by Dr Tom Crawford, Public Engagement Lead and Departmental Lecturer, and the creator of the award-winning ’Tom Rocks Maths’. All entries will be published on the  Tom Rocks Maths website  as part of the essay showcase. 

The student prizewinner will receive a cash prize of £100 alongside the publication of their winning essay on the University website. 

The adult prizewinner will receive free registration to an  online live-time weekly class (WOW)  of their choosing and the publication of their winning essay on the University website. The full list of courses available can be found here .

Choosing your essay topic

The mathematical topic of your essay can be anything you choose, but if you’re struggling to come up with ideas, here are a few examples to get you started:

• How to build a giant dome - Numberphile
• Which is the Fastest Dinosaur? The Maths of Dinosaurs
• Making Mathematical Art with L-Systems

Previous years' entries:

Previous editions of the competition have received extremely high numbers of excellent submissions, all of which can be found at the links below:

• 2023 entries
• 2022 entries
• 2021 entries
• 2020 entries

If you have any questions about the competition or would like some more information, please contact Tom at  [email protected] .

Data policy

Personal data

Personal data is information that relates to you. In the course of completing this Tom Rocks Maths: Essay Competition submission form, you have provided the Department with information about yourself, which is known as personal data.

What will the Department do with your data?

The Department will collect, process, share, and use personal data for the purposes of notifying you if you are successful in the competition. You will only be notified shortly after the competition closes on Monday 1 April 2024. The Department will normally only discuss your personal information with you, unless you have nominated a third party.

This information will be retained until the winner of the competition has been announced, after which it will be securely deleted.

Legal Basis of Processing

The legal basis for processing your information is that this processing is necessary to notify you if you have been successful in the competition.

Read our full Privacy Policy terms .

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact Tom at  [email protected] .

Dr Tom Crawford

Data science, computing and maths, weekly oxford worldwide, open-access short courses.

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Maths, but not as you know it... Dr Tom Crawford is a Mathematician at the University of Oxford, and occasionally appears on Numberphile talking about his favourite subject. YouTube: www.youtube.com/tomrocksmaths Twitter: www.twitter.com/tomrocksmaths Facebook: www.facebook.com/tomrocksmaths Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomrocksmaths Website: www.tomrocksmaths.com

The 3rd most popular post on Tom Rocks Maths in 2022 is... Teddy Rocks Maths! The 4th edition of the essay competition will kick-off in early 2023, but in the meantime why not enjoy some of last years brilliant winning entries at the link below :)

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TOM ROCKS MATHS

Maths, but not as you know it…, tom rocks maths essay competition.

All entries from the Tom Rocks Maths Essay Competition held in partnership with the University of Oxford. The competition is open to everyone and invites maths enthusiasts to write an essay on a mathematical topic of their choice. It runs every year from February to April. More information can be found at the links below.

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 16

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 15

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 14

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 13

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 12

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 11

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 10

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 9

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 8

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 7

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 6

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 5

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 4

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 3

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 2

TRM Essay Competition 2024 Showcase: Group 1

Oxford University Maths Essay Competition 2024

2023 Winners on the St Edmund Hall Website

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2023: Overall Winner

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2023: Student Winner

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Winners Shortlist Part II

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Winners Shortlist Part I

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase Group 19

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase Group 18

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase Group 17

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 16

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 15

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 14

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 13

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 12

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 11

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 10

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 9

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 8

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 7

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 6

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 5

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 4

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 3

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 2

Teddy Rocks Maths 2023 Showcase: Group 1

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2023

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2022: Overall Winner

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2022: Student Winner

Teddy Rocks Maths 2022 Winners Shortlist

Joseph Fourier, Quantum Mechanics and 80’s Pop Music

A Mathematician, a Monster and a Game With No Players

Understanding transmissions with error-correcting codes

The problem mathematics is not ready to solve

What is Inflation and how is it calculated?

The Longest Ever Proof: Computer-Assisted Provers and Organising Pythagorean Triples

Bringing a gun into a knife fight: Colour shifts and some applications of Topology to Computer Science

Knotty Chocolate Babka

The Mathematics of Symmetry (and Monsters)

Recognising Badly Drawn Dragons – How do Neural Nets Work?

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 9 [U-Z]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 8 [S-T]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 7 [P-R]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 6 [M-N]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 5 [K-L]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 4 [I-J]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 3 [E-H]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 2 [C-D]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2022: Group 1 [A-B]

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2022

The ‘Big Think’ Competition with St Edmund Hall

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2021: The Winners

Overall Winer: Into the World of Roulettes

Student Winner: The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in Art

College Choice Award: The Tower of Hanoi

Commended Entry: Interesting Shapes: Why is a doughnut equivalent to a coffee mug ?

Commended Entry: Turing Machines – the death of formalism and the birth of computer science

Commended Entry: The Mathematician and the Artist

Commended Entry: Maps and Projections

Commended Entry: Elo and Glicko Standardised Rating Systems

Commended Entry: Prime Numbers – What We Know

Commended Entry: A Brief Exposé of P-adics

Commended Entry: The Lorenz System and Why Truth is Always Stranger than Fiction

Commended Entry: Does the way we speak about maths affect our perception of numbers?

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 9 [U-Z]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 8 [S-T]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 7 [O-R]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 6 [M-N]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 5 [J-L]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 4 [G-I]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 3 [E-F]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 2 [B-D]

Teddy Rocks Maths Showcase 2021: Group 1 [A]

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2021

BiG STEM Communicators Network newsletter: Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: Winners

A Loveletter to Infinity

Time for Prayer

Mathematics vs Reality: The pursuit of perfect representation

To Infinity and Beyond!

Fun with Square Numbers

Searching for Clarity: Patterns, Chaos Theory and Nature

Visualising Higher Dimensions

Tessellation, Penrose Tilings and Infinity

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: Puzzles and Stories

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: Numbers

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: History

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: Calculus and Probability

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: BIG Questions

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020: Geometry

Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition 2020

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