After a long wait (due to the incredible volume of entries) I’m excited to announce the winners shortlist of the third annual Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition as follows:

A highly entertaining and informative look at a popular topic which is often mentioned in the news but not usually well-explained.

The description of the periodic table for groups really blew my mind – a great introduction to an advanced topic not usually studied until 2nd/3rd year undergraduate algebra.

Incredible baking skills accompanied by an excellent explanation of a lesser-known area of maths.

Using a music video to discuss advanced mathematical topics was an inspired decision – I can’t wait to see more!

Never have music and maths been so closely linked – very clear presentation and highly entertaining.

A great explanation of a topic I’d never come across which left me wanting to learn more.

A very relevant choice of topic given the the current cost-of-living crisis – and always great to see an application of maths to the economy.

An excellent summary of what is, and isn’t, known about the Collatz Conjecture – one of the most famous unsolved problems in the field.

An informative introduction to error-correcting codes and how they are linked to the problem of sphere packing.

An entertaining read with excellent use of images to really bring the subject matter to life.

Reads like an ode to the late, great, John Conway – a mathematician with a big personality and an even bigger repertoire of mathematics.

A detailed look at the many applications of the powerful, and incredibly important, technique of Fourier Series – anything featuring 80’s pop music is a win in my book!

The overall winner and student winner will be selected from the above list – to be announced shortly.

The competition was organised with St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford and offers a cash prize plus publication on the university website. It will be running again in early 2023 so be sure to follow Tom (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) to make sure you don’t miss the announcement!