Welcome to Plus Magazine and the Maths Careers Website

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Welcome to Plus Magazineand the Maths Careers
Website
http//mathscareers.org.uk
http//plus.maths.org
Maths opens doors
The Plus Careers with Maths Library has over 40
interviews with people who use maths in their
work, in a wide variety of exciting and
surprising careers. The Maths Careers Website
tells you all you need to know about maths in
life and work, with information for everyone from
school students aged 11 and onwards, to
undergraduates, graduates, teachers, parents and
careers advisers.
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Maths for skills

• Maths is a way of thinking - it teaches you
  skills that you can use in any career
• Thats why mathematicians work in almost any
  field you can think of
• Here are some examples

• How to solve problems
• Analytical thinking
• Conceptual ability
• Communication skills

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Nick Gray Computer games developer

• The real world is governed by the laws of
  physics.
• How exactly does a car crunch up when its
  crashed?
• Nick makes computer games look realistic by
  encoding the physics of the real world into the
  virtual world of the game.
• He needs to put the physics in a language the
  computer will understand.

Making superfast programs involves complex
programming problems Explaining whats happening
to non-maths colleagues requires excellent
communication skills As a mathematician Nick has
it all!
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Charles Trevelyan and Gala Wright furniture
designers
Charles and Gala studied maths at university
during their engineering and physics
degrees. There is a lot of problem solving in
design, and not just aesthetically -
Charles Need to solve many problems to take
designs from idea to reality, and excellent
communication skills to instruct manufacturers
how to build your design.
Maths skills required can be surprising - lots of
trigonometry, physics and mechanics. Their
background helps them push the limits of their
designs. Dont underestimate the science in
design! - Gala
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JimMcElwaine avalanche researcher
Jim was once buried up to his neck in an
avalanche fortunately someone dug him
out. Avalance research combines his two favourite
things - mathematics and mountaineering. Field
work requires both mathematical and
mountaineering skills - he also simulates
avalanches by releasing a ton of pingpong balls
on a ski jump!
Jims uses maths to model the way the snowpack
evolves. Avalanches are a particular example of
granular flow - a concept in fluid mechanics.
Other examples of this are undersea landslides
and processes in industry. The beauty of maths
research is that it can be applied in different
fields - Jim
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Christine Hogan aerodynamicist
Christine was always interested in formula one
racing. She never thought shed be able to work
in this as a career - but thanks to maths she
does! She started off using maths to describe the
complex airflow in the wake of aircraft - an area
which has many safety implications.
Christine now designs race cars for a formula one
team. Aerodynamicists use maths to model the way
air moves around the race cars.
Their work affects the cars speed, and can make
the difference between winning or losing a
race. Each team has a group of these
mathematicians working on different parts of the
car.
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Maths makes a difference to your future career

• Maths gives you a set of skills that will be
  useful in any career
• Maths gives you the edge when it comes to
  getting a job
• Find out more about where maths can take you in
  the
• Plus Careers with Maths Library
• and on the Maths Careers Website
• http//plus.maths.org/interview.html
• http//mathscareers.org.uk