Super-curricular activities
What are super-curricular activities?
Super-curricular activities are like extra-curricular activities but even nerdier. They include anything you do outside of the curriculum in your subject. They can be great fun and give you lots to talk about in university applications, etc. See below for some exciting [sic?] suggestions...
Books and magazines
Maths isn't all about reading through examples and answering questions. There is a whole world to learn and read about. Some first authors to explore include Ian Stewart, Simon Singh and Martin Gardner.
You will find a more detailed reading list at the bottom of this page, giving a wide range of suggested starting points. Ask your teachers for more specific suggestions and check out the Durham Sixth Form Centre library to see what they have in stock!
You could also check out the new web-magazine for A-level Maths students, SUMs - Steps to University for Mathematical Students, or the slightly older magazine for the mathematically curious, Chalkdust.
Videos and podcasts
Not a book person? Well then, isn't YouTube a wonderful alternative? There are loads of great channels focused on fun areas of maths. Some particular favourites include Numberphile and Vihart. Fancy some trickier problems? This channel has compiled problems and worked solutions from different Maths competitions. You will find many interesting videos on the individual topic pages of the VLE, all linked to those specific areas of the course (just scroll to the bottom of each page - the fun ones are on the right).
If you prefer to listen then try 13 minutes to the Moon - a really detailed, and fascinating, look at the first moon landing. The Radio 4 show More or Less is also available as a podcast - the team try to make sense of the current news using statistics.
Competitions
If your want to get into some more hands-on additional maths, there are some fantastic maths challenges and competitions available at a number of levels. Further details and practice materials can be found by clicking on the links below. Please contact Mr Waterfield (sam.waterfield@durhamsixthformcentre.org.uk) if you would like any more information or would like to enquire about entering any of these:
Ritangle Competition - A fun competition open to all! New problems are released every day, building up to a final round. Use of technology is encouraged. [October - December]
Senior Individual Maths Challenge - A 90-minute multiple-choice competition completed in a test format in the centre. Limited spaces available. [Early November]
Senior Team Maths Challenge - A team-based competition with several rounds of mathematical problem-solving. This is a fun day out at an external venue. 4 spaces available (maximum two Y13s). [Late November]
Maths Olympiad for Girls - A 2.5-hour competition consisting of five challenging problems aimed at girls and young women across the UK. This is a tough one! [Early October]
Some of the competitions have additional rounds dependent on outstanding performance.
MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a real extension of your school learning. These are generally completed online over a period of a few weeks to several months. Some examples can be found here.
What next after AS/A level Mathematics?
Explore further what your mathematical options are after completing your A-level courses here.
Reading list
The books below are in no particular order. What you might like to read will depend on your particular interests. By the blurbs below, you will notice I have a penchant for mathematical history. Please enjoy!
'From Here to Infinity' by Ian Stewart - A lovely romp through current research in mathematics. This book gives a nice overview of how topics in your A-levels can be extended to university and beyond. There are many other interesting books by the same author following similar themes, as well as compilations of fun problems and higher level mathematical textbooks.
'Fermat's Last Theorem' by Simon Singh - The quintessential popular mathematics book. This follows a historical narrative of an important proof throughout the ages (I won't spoil the ending here). Simon Singh has also written highly accessible accounts on cryptography and, more recently, the mathematics of the Simpsons!
'The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved' by Mario Livio - Another historical narrative, this time building up from the humble quadratic formula up to the creation of group theory. This one's a lovely area of mathematical history and is a personal favourite.
'Negative Math' by Alberto A. Martinez - What if a negative times a negative equals a negative? Time to find out! This book encourages real creativity in the build-up of the subject, giving a nice insight into why things are the way they are (and why it doesn't necessarily matter!).
'The Drunkard's Walk' by Leonard Mlodinow - A cracking overview of probability theory in everyday life.
'A Mathematician's Apology' by G. H. Hardy - Ever wondered how a mathematician works and thinks? Wonder no more! This is a beautiful read (it's also very short).
'Chaos' by James Gleick - A fascinating history of the study of chaos theory. This is a nice one for anyone who likes to see applications of their mathematics.
'The Music of the Primes' by Marcus Du Sautoy - An overview of the Riemann hypothesis, its importance in mathematics and the trials and tribulations of those who have tackled its proof. Marcus Du Sautoy has written many popular mathematics books.
'Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension' / 'Humble Pi' by Matt Parker - Hopefully you've all watched Numberphile by now (if not, do!). Well, Matt Parker (the stand-up mathematician) has written two highly enjoyable maths books. Read them.
'The Man Who Knew Infinity' by Robert Kangel - A tragic biography of the self-taught Indian mathematician Ramanujan (there's now a film of the book if you're short of time!). Other mathematician biographies include 'The Man Who Loved Only Numbers' (Paul Hoffman), 'A Beautiful Mind' (Sylvia Nasar) and 'Whom the Gods Love' (Leopold Infeld). I'm also going to include 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman' (Ralph Leighton, Richard Feynman), although he is more of a physicist and this book is certainly a lot more lighthearted than all of the others!
'Unknown Quantity: A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra' by John Derbyshire - Does what it says on the tin (in the title). This book goes right through the history of algebra, with a nice signposting to all the major paradigm shifts.
'Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea' by Charles Seife - Speaking of paradigm shifts... This book goes way beyond mathematics and looks and the idea of zero throughout history throughout life.
'The Art of Statistics: Learning from Data' by David Spiegelhalter. Drawing on real world problems to introduce conceptual issues, he shows us how statistics can help us determine the luckiest passenger on the Titanic, whether serial killer Harold Shipman could have been caught earlier, and if screening for ovarian cancer is beneficial. I would thoroughly recommend his other book 'Sex by Numbers' as well.
...and Martin Gardner. This author has so many books it would be impossible to whittle them down here. Many of these focus on fun problems and recreational maths (act responsibly, kids).