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Thursday 11th October
Oswestry School 600 Event

600th Anniversary Maths Lecture, PHC, 7.30pm

"1089 and All That" A Journey into Mathematics by David Acheson of Jesus College, Oxford.

As part of the School’s  continuing 600th anniversary celebrations, Oswestry School hosted a lecture given by Dr David Acheson, the eminent mathematician and Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford.  The talk, which was attended by guests from Moreton Hall School, Shrewsbury High School, Walford and North Shropshire College and Ellesmere College, was based on Dr Acheson’s book "1089 and All That".  This extraordinary book makes mathematics understandable and provides an interesting and witty overview of the subject.

At the end of the lecture Dr Acheson entertained the audience, of almost 200 guests, by playing his electric guitar to demonstrate the mathematical theory of vibrating strings.

A teacher of physical Applied Mathematics, Dr Acheson works on mechanics and fluid motion and is also the author of ‘From Calculus to Chaos’ and ‘Elementary Fluid Dynamics’.  In recognition of his outstanding contribution to learning and teaching, Dr Acheson holds a National Teaching Fellowship, worth £50,000, Oxford University’s first winner of the award.

Here's what some readers have said about the book.

Smashing!
A great little book, which makes mathematics accessible to anyone who wants to know. Written in a really friendly, non-condescending manner; Acheson wants you to like his subject, but takes great care not to force it upon you. Recommended for mathematicians looking for a spot of light relief, and non-mathematicians who just want to know a little bit more.
 
A fascinating little book!
I am currently training to be a maths teacher, and bought this book largely out of curiosity. But what a great little book! It is written in a style that is understandable to anyone without a great deal of mathematical knowledge, but is still interesting to anyone with a maths background. The style is lively and entertaining, and there are plenty of pictures and diagrams. Chapters such as 'The Trouble with Algebra', 'On being as Small as Possible', 'Are We Nearly There?', 'What is the secret of All Life', and 'Not Quite the Indian Rope Trick' introduce topics such as algebra, geometry, caluculus, infinity and far, far more. It has lots of fascinating little snippits that appealed not only to me, but also to my husband (who is not a mathematician), and my 13 year-old son. A lovely little book!