Blog

Pre-order your copy of our 9½-year anniversary issue now!

Calling all final-year students!

Pre-order your copy now!

We review the seventh of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the sixth of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the fifth of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the fourth of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the third of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the second of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We review the first of this year's nominees for Book of the Year

We announce the shortlist of our favourite maths-themed books of last year

Pre-order a copy and/or book your ticket for our launch event

A tribute to alumni Roly Drower by Hugh Duncan

Did you solve it?

Hear ye! Hear ye! Chalkdust Magazine issue 16 is launching, full of mathematical joy and curiosity.

Roll up, roll up! Squid Game, hidden harmonies and DnD coming your way in Issue 15. (Plus all the usual nonsense.)

We announce the shortlist of our favourite maths-themed books of last year

Enter stage left: Chalkdust issue 14. Preorder now!

Did you solve it?

Did you solve it?

Issue 13 is here! Find out how to get involved with our mathematical art launch project

A great start to the month of Maying

We announce the winner of this coveted prize

We review the seventh of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year, and open the vote for the readers' favourite

We review the sixth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the fifth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the fourth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the third of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the second of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the first of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We announce the shortlist

Łukasz takes us on a tour through a surprisingly diverse range of algorithms to test for divisibility by 7

We reveal the solutions to our Christmas puzzles!

Puzzle #3 in our 2020 Christmas puzzle series

Puzzle #2 in our 2020 Christmas puzzle series

Puzzle #1 in our 2020 Christmas puzzle series

Belgin gets hooked on a classic maths game...in 16 bits! Here's her review...

Try out these flo-maps for yourself: fractions speak louder than words

Hugh Duncan returns with the long-awaited prequel in which he further explores the geometric patterns hidden behind the fractions.

Now available to catch up on YouTube

Did you solve it?

Issue 11 of everyone's favourite magazine for the mathematically curious is coming very soon

Did you solve it?

Issah Merchant discusses the geometric principles behind, and real-world applications of, curvature

We announce the winner of this coveted prize

We review the ninth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the eighth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the sevnth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the sixth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the fifth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the fourth of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the third of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the second of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We review the first of this year's nominees for the Book of the Year

We reveal the shortlist

21 simple steps to draw your own Islamic pattern!

This article will (unsurprisingly) tell you how to crochet a fractal

Come along to our launch party for free pizza and the real quiz

A month celebrating the contributions of black mathematicians

Did you solve it?

Hugh Duncan explores an exciting variation on Conway's Game of Life

We have a go at the puzzles in Daniel Griller’s new book

W.L. Feldhusen explains the obscure sine-finding trick hiding inside your calculator!

Tony Pisculli dissects the lyrics from a popular song

The scientific story behind the cover of Joy Division's treasured debut

In 2018, scientists discovered a new shape that is essential to multicellular life

Celebrate International Women's day by reading about rebel women in mathematics!

More sartorial inquisition for your feet

Read the magazine, and come to the launch party!

A podcast for the mathematically curious

Did the Danish mathematician also sail the high seas?

Did you solve it?

Tricks and puzzles that provide an introduction to the world of partitions

A podcast for the mathematically curious

How can we teach people about the sieve in a way that helps them best understand prime numbers?

Investigating the power of thinking rationally

Looking back at puzzles about complex numbers, tic-tac-toe, and the Eggnog Mystery

Lies, liquor and logical deduction play their part in this festive holiday tale

Why do Christmas lights get tangled? And what's the perfect way to decorate a Christmas tree? Find the answers here.

Win this year's best book of geometry puzzles

Looking back at the exciting day that closed our 2018 celebrations

Win a DVD boxset from Festival of the spoken nerd in our first Christmas competition!

Mike Fletcher explores the optimal strategy for winning the popular television game show

Bring your shovel, and dig with us to unearth some amazing results about polynomials

A podcast for the mathematically curious

Hugh Duncan explores polygons with a shortage of edges

What is pi? How do we define it and who first thought of it? We explore the history of this quintessential mathematical constant.

Introducing Mathscon, a mathematics conference with a difference!

John Pougué Biyong explains how and why science communication can lead to better diversity.

Reviewing the Royal Institution's first Black History Month event.

Nira Chamberlain explains how Black Panther's suit can be modelled mathematically

Clive Fraser reflects on his interactions with one of the greatest ever Black mathematicians

This month’s round up of mathematical blog posts from all over the internet

We look back at last year's Black Mathematician Month, and give a preview of what to expect this October.

You'll never believe number 3!

Join us at our upcoming launch party!

We explore the concept of emptiness in set theory, and explain how zero went from "nothing" to "something"

Introducing the work that has won mathematics' most famous award

Exploring the beauty of complex numbers, their origins and why they are important

How does one produce a net for the broadest class of polyhedra?

... and how Chalkdust played a role in one of them

Did you solve it?

Exploring non-random walks using fractions

A review of Vicky Neale's new book about the quest to understand prime numbers.

We analyse the maths and physics required to execute a good chip shot

Discover the mathematical equations that describe the most commonly observed trajectories in football

An unexpected way to beat the odds in this classic game

Defining what exactly an integral is leads naturally to an explanation of how to handle approximating them.

A selection of weird goings-on from the world of fluid mechanics

A thrilling review of this truly enlightening book

Blood is exceptionally complicated and its composition varies from person to person. So how do we begin to model it?

A mathematically-themed version of the classic card game, with several new features

A collection of our favourite and least favourite things named after Euler, from issue 07

Have you been wondering what the pattern on it means?

``Read Euler, read Euler, he is the master of us all." -- Laplace. An invitation to join us in celebrating Euler's 311th birthday by appreciating a few of his great contributions to mathematics.

Or, how a simple problem can get very complicated, very quickly...

Let's take a look at patterns that can be discovered in Fibonacci numbers and how we can find them around us.

You won't believe number 5!

What is the probability that d+2 random points in d-dimensional space form a convex body? Investigating an old problem using modern methods.

Join us at our upcoming launch party!

"Unlocking the hidden mathematics in video games"

Learn how to model your heart one beat at a time ❤️

Belgin plays a classic mathsy game from her childhood...in 16-bit graphics! Here's her review...

You can un-knot a knot, by cutting it not?

Why do surnames die out? We take a look at the Galton-Watson process for modelling the extinction of surnames to answer the question: 'When will we all be Smiths?'

Did you solve it?

A fiendish puzzle for you to 'pour' over...

Some summations seem strangely slippery...

Uniting the teaching of mathematics and music can benefit pupils greatly in both areas.

What have we been up to this year?

... and the winners

Can you solve four puzzles to reveal the hidden message?

Reviewing this week's conundrum prize... science-y stuff staring you in the face!

Try our nonograms! And remember, not all puzzles have a unique solution...

Christmas is coming, and Santa will soon begin his journey. We analyse the science and maths behind his trip.

Solve this and you could be the lucky winner of a signed copy of The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus

We round up some of the last month's top mathematical posts from around the internet

Solve this and you could be the lucky winner of a Chalkdust T-shirt

As the festive season strikes again, we'll be dishing out more fiendish puzzles – this time with prizes!

Should you ask Santa for 'Ice Col' Beveridge's encyclopedic tome this festive period?

Chalkdust descends upon the UK's largest pop maths gathering and tells you what you missed

When you get tired of using your calculator for numbers, why not use it for words?

Maths has strong connections to art and music, but what about to both at the same time?

Reflecting on what we've learnt over the past few weeks.

Stories and lessons on diversity in mathematics from a globe-trotting number theorist.

Cardioids in coffee cups, counting with three fingers, and breakfast at Villani's. Plus the return of all your favourite fun pages in our autumn 2017 issue.

How many did you spot?

Natalya Silcott introduces us to star polynomials!

Promoting black mathematicians, and talking about building a more representative mathematical community.

Free launch party, 7.15pm. Come along!

A polygon with four and a half sides?!

While drinking beer in your favourite pub, have you ever wondered how it is produced? Find here some of the science and mathematics behind brewing.

Take a ball, divide it into parts, glue them back and get two identical copies of your ball!

A hideous equation that hides beautiful images, and much (much) more besides...

How processes used in image editing are related to mathematics!

We created hot ice from scratch, a solution that remains liquid even below its freezing point!

A quick look at how to get the most bang for your buck the next time you're in a bidding war

A summer essential or an embarrassment risk on the streets of Ibiza?

How to win a game when your expected score is 0

Did you win?

Write down a quadratic. What is the probability that it factorises? Paging Prof. Dirichet...

A crossnumber clue takes us plunging headfirst towards projective geometry

Human migration with mathematical models, data and a hands-on experiment!

Some interesting observations with the pigeonhole principle

Have a go at these puzzles, adequate for your holidays!

We take a look at the top 10 emojis!

Next time you are finished using a paper cup, create your own papercupter!

Read about our least favourite numbers in this collection from issue 5!

Discover the mysteries behind the most spectacular free-kick ever scored and how Newton can help us to simulate it.

Finding the best picture at the Leaning Tower of Pisa is all about the maths rather than the pose!

Each time you eat a croissant you might be biting more than 500 layers of dough!

We have a go at the puzzles in Daniel Griller's new book

We chat to Marcus about science communication, teaching mathematics in schools, and how to make group theory sound sexy.

Negative polygons and other mathematical creations

In the Aztec city of Atzlan, the scientist Remotep makes a revolutionary discovery

How optimising the space around a circular monument is related to supereggs

When you're caught in the rain without an umbrella... what is your best option?

Unexpected item in bagging areAAAARGGGHH here's 90p change in pennies

After 100 years, a key postulate of the third law of thermodynamics has been proven. We meet Lluis Masanes, one of the researchers responsible.

Not the new coin we want, but the new coin we need

How to make the most slices from just a few cuts of cake

Graphical linear algebra, slide rules and game theory in nature. Plus all your favourite fun pages in our spring 2017 issue.

How many did you spot?

Free launch party, 7.15pm. Come along! Free copies of Chalkdust, free pizza, and buy your own Chalkdust T-shirt.

What connects the products of twin primes with something you learnt in primary school and the number 8?

A tragic love story of shares and viral songs. To share, or not to share...

For those of you tackling this dilemma, here's your answer...

Some surprising mathematical facts

Here are some highlights of the first two years of Chalkdust!

Are you a winner?

Lindsay Lohan is really good at L'Hôpital's rule.

Why the infamous acronym needs revising.

Can you wear them and be taken mathematically seriously?

Behind today's door... A book review!

This year's Chalkdust puzzle Christmas card

Winter is coming!

Get into the ChristMATHS spirit with the maths behind the popular Christmas carol!

How crime science, and the maths it uses, is helping the police fight crime

Here we have collected our favourite sets, from the Mandelbrot set to the Mahut-Isner set!

Using modern technology to understand geometry

The algebra will set your heart aflutter.

Constructing a spiderweb: in the spookiest and most horrific way possible!

The Great Fire of London, a little-known polymath and a Monument...

A blast from the past. Modelling battle grounds from ancient Greece.

Tuesday 11 October, 7.15pm. Come along! Featuring hundreds of free copies of Chalkdust, free pizza, and the chance to purchase a Chalkdust T-shirt.

A review of Timothy Revell's new book, describing the hidden mathematics behind our world

If only the Earth were flat...

Applying game theory to evolution

What can a 100-year-old result in topology say about weather and computers?

Donald Duck learns that there is “a lot more to mathematics than two-times-two”.

Exploring the maths on offer at this year's UK hacker festival.

How the queue size tells you when the next bus is coming

Believe it or not: Mathematics and Theology can coexist

Are you a winner?

Looking for a neat description of this useful matrix part-inverse

Can you solve these puzzles about differentiation and integration?

Difficulties in designing a voting system for referenda

Using Markov chains to calculate some interesting tennis stats!

Paper cups do not follow a hexagonal pattern and the cones do not meet at a single point, but they do make a gigantic sphere

Memory and maths in the modern world

An easy equation to remember for your driving theory test, with dangerous consequences

The discovery of gravitational waves offers a new way of looking at the universe. Who knows what we will discover?

The Chalkdust team set you a challenge, for which the prize is a £25 Amazon voucher...

Extending the million, billion, trillion system to much, much bigger numbers

Maths and Decision Theory to be the best at playing Guess Who?

When-to-add-milk confusion and other related matters

The search for polydivisible numbers in different bases: how many can you find?

This month's round up of mathematical blog posts.

Here is the reason why the golden era of Twitter is gone

Hyperbolic surfaces, Klein bottles and more

Read ours then send us your favourites!

How many points could you have scored at our launch quiz?

Explaining how surface tension makes water form surprising shapes

Your first peek at our Spring issue

Additional roads do not imply faster travel times!

Agony uncle Professor Dirichlet answers your personal problems this Valentine's Day.

Make the perfect gift for your loved one

How can we identify objects in photos, to diagnose cancer or predict the weather? Using gradients!

Simple Statistics can help businesses make informed decisions

Introducing polyominoes

Amaze your friends with our top facts about the new largest known prime number

Is there life on Mars? Or anywhere else?

Exploring mental arithmetic tricks in T. Martin's 1842 guide, 'Pounds, shillings and pence'

Have you read the best of the blog?

Something for you to solve during the post-Christmas lull

Agony uncle Professor Dirichlet answers your personal problems this Christmastime.

Are you a winner?

Making gingerbread Platonic solids, Fröbel stars and Christmas flexagons

We have received loads of feedback from people telling us their favourite function

Three ways to obtain and generalise a beautiful fractal

Chalkdust visits popular maths' biggest conference

Explaining the tautological Twitter bot

Because we love functions!

Where should you choose to take a conversion kick from?

Some mathematical questions you might have wondered every time you look at one of those rainbows

What difference will an extra 10 balls make?

Take two phone books and interleave all their pages one by one. Now try and pull them apart by their spines. Impossible, right?

Find out what's going to be inside

Maths on Toast is a charity that aims to challenge and change the public's perception of mathematics...

A selection of our favourite mathematical blogs

While we work on issue 2

The extreme weirdness of slow viscous flows, and why borrowers shouldn't use doggy paddle.

Can you solve our 3D Sudoku puzzles?

Let's print your thesis in Comic Sans

Do we have a natural limitation on the number of friends that we have?

Are you a winner?

Did you use meta-logic to solve the crossnumber?

How to make Sudoku more interesting

Why are there none in base 13?

What the Guardian got wrong...

How tennis players spin and slice their serves

Favourite numbers for many are linked to birthdays or anniversaries, but here is our take on the question

When people do science for money…

If you enjoyed Hannah's sweets then you'll love these...

Choosing which charity we donate money to shouldn't be an entirely emotional decision.

Cédric Villani’s Birth of a Theorem tells the story of a mathematical theorem

Does form going into the play-offs predict your success?

Pub ✕ maths = ?

What does Twitter have to do with politics?

We have some fantastic blog articles, and this is how we plan to publish them.