By Isabel Baker and Mia Krnić (Lower Sixth)

On Monday 14th of November, the Lower Sixth mathematicians attended the Maths in Action event at the University of Warwick.

The cohort began the day by listening to a very informative talk entitled A Prime Puzzle by Sophie Maclean, a maths communicator and member of the team behind Chalkdust magazine, before receiving some helpful exam tips from an experienced teacher and examiner. The group then dove into the intriguing topic of game theory, a lecture by Dr Colin Wright that explored the mathematics behind NIM and Officers and the use of binary to guarantee a winning strategy.

The biologists within the group particularly enjoyed Dr Sara Jabbari's talk on the use of mathematics to track antibiotic resistance and the dynamics of bacterial infections. This talk broadened the horizons of the group's understanding of applied mathematics in the wider world.

A favourite among the Lower Sixth was Overanalysing Video Games by Matthew Scroggs, which encompassed the most efficient method of completing PacMan and 4 Dimensional planes. The talk captured the interest of our further mathematicians: one student evens plans to deliver a lecture at the Pythagorean Society on a similar topic later in the term.

To finish off the day, a performance by Dr Matt Pritchard treated the students, who were baffled by optical illusions and other 'magical' tricks.

Overall, the day provided an insightful perspective on the vast applications of Mathematics. All students came away with many further questions and mathematical topics of interest.