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Using a specially-designed virtual learning environment (VLE), this online

course guides students through weekly pathways of directed readings and
learning activities. Students interact with their tutor through tutor-guided,
text-based forum discussions. There are no 'live-time' video meetings, meaning
you can study flexibly whenever it suits you under the direct tuition of an
expert. This flexible course is distinct from the live-time classes with weekly
lectures on the Weekly Oxford Worldwide programme.

Overview
Based on Marcus du Sautoy's book The Number Mysteries, this course explores the
question, how natural is mathematics? Through numerous online activities and 'at
home' experiments, you will interact with mathematics as you never have done
before.

Today's world is full of technological advances which are only possible due to the
huge leaps that science has made over the last few decades: the structure of DNA,
the microchip, splitting the atom. Yet, as diverse as these major discoveries may
seem, they are all understood through the language of mathematics.

Mathematics has come a long way from its humble origins of notches on a stick
and through this ten week course we will take you all the way from the beginning
of the number system to the very edges of the universe.

Packed full of diverse activities to suit a wide range of learning styles, The
Number Mysteries maths course is for anyone who wants to go on a mathematical
odyssey which may change the way they think forever.
For information on how the courses work, please click here.

Programme details
1. The construction of the number system and the human relationship to it.

History of the number system

Prehistory

Babylonians

 Egyptians

 Greeks

 Are we born to count

2. Proofs and prime numbers

Prime spotting

What comes next?

Using algebra to help us

Cutting circles

Cutting circles continued

Over to you

Proof

Direct proof

Proof by contradiction

Proof by induction

3. Fractals

Uses

Creating fractals

Where on Earth?

Music

Dimension

Ways of measuring a fractal’s dimension

Ruler method

Box method
 Which is the smoothest country

4. Topology

Homeomorphism

How many sides does a piece of paper have?

Illustrating topologies

What is a map?

Euler’s formula

Five neighbours theorem

Six colours theorem

5. Probability Theory

Setting up the theory

Calculating probabilities

What do you think?

Conditional probability

The partition theorem

Goats, cars and doors

Deadly virus

Balls

6. Probabilistic games

Nim

Derren Brown

Penney’s game

How to win

Using probability theory

An alternative approach

Kruskal’s count

7. Modulo arithmetic

Addition and subtraction

Multiplication
 Modular division

Bezout’s lemma

Divisibility criterion

Division by 2

Division by 3 and the rest

Codes that use modular arithmetic

Can they go wrong?

Produce the day of the week

8. Encryption

Tell me a story

Suggested codes

RSA

Euclidean algorithm

Proof that the Euclidean algorithm leads to the highest common factor

Finding d

9. Mechanical System

Speed, distance, time

Instantaneous speed

Acceleration

Using the formulae

Motion under gravity

Tennis and recap

Dimensional analysis

Dimensional activities

10. Chaos and complex numbers

Examples of chaos

Lorenz, the weather and butterflies

The butterfly effect

Lorenz water wheel

 Chaotic billiards

Cobwebs

Bifurcations

Linking chaos to fractals

Complex numbers

The quadratic map

Maths vs art

Recommended reading
To participate in this course you will need to have regular access to the Internet
and you will need to buy the following book:

du Sautoy, Marcus; The Number Mysteries [2010], Fourth Estate, Great Britain

Certification
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an
additional £10 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the
relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you
do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register
and pay the £10 fee.

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be
expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be
awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are
enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the
enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

All students who successfully complete this course, whether registered for credit
or not, are eligible for a Certificate of Completion. Completion consists of
submitting the final course assignment. Certificates will be available, online, for
those who qualify after the course finishes.
Fees
Description Costs

Course Fee £350.00

Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Tutor

Dr Thomas Woolley
Dr Thomas Woolley, applied mathematics lecturer at Cardiff University, studied
mathematics at University of Oxford between 2004-2017. Through his education he
ended up specialising in mathematical biology, where his doctorate focused on
understanding the pattern formation behind fish spots and zebra stripes. Along
side this research he now investigates mathematical models of stem cell
movement. The hope is that by understanding how stem cells move we can
influence them and, thus, speed up the healing process.

When not doing mathematics he is a keen participant in mathematical outreach

workshops and has given a variety of popular maths lectures nationally and
internationally. He has previously worked for the BBC, illustrated Marcus du
Sautoy’s book and worked on the popular maths show “Dara Ó Briain: School of
Hard Sums”.  Most recently he was the Fellow of Modern Mathematics at the
London Science Museum and helped redesign their mathematics gallery.

Course aims
This course aims to

give students a deeper knowledge and understanding of the concepts of

number, shape, the role of logic and probability in game play, the role of
mathematics in codes and the power of mathematical equations to predict
the future;
 provide students with activities that allow the students to interact with
mathematics on a level which they may not considered before;

show how mathematics permeates many aspects of our daily lives;

aid the intuition of the participants when dealing with probability;

show the beauty behind the equations that mathematicians use.

This course will enable students to:

have confidence in situations where numerical processes are necessary.

question the statistical data that the media presents as fact.

organise problems logically, stating their assumptions and understanding

their conclusions.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:

mathematics is the language of the universe;

mathematics is more than just numbers;

intuition may not always be correct;

the power of proof;

mathematics allows us to explore theoretical systems without the need of

physical experiment.

By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained the following
skills:

Discuss mathematical ideas competently.

Suggest possible applicable branches of mathematics to new problems.

Clarify and evaluate assumptions based on their applicability.

Aid their intuition through mathematical insights.

Transform known solutions to new problems.

Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due
halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but
preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your
assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed
work is marked pass or fail.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn
that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable
level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your
proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English
language requirements please follow this link:
https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

Application
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete
an application form.

Level and demands

FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100
study hours.

IT requirements
This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a
computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will
also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our
recommended minimum computer specification.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support
 View all data science, computing and maths courses

View a sample page to see if this course is for you

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