Lower Eighth student wins the Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition

Congratulations to Lower Eighth student Rick Chen who recently won the Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition with an essay titled “Into the world of roulettes”.

Judge, Dr Crawford commented: “An insightful and entertaining look at a lesser-known branch of mathematics. Beginning with a simple geometrical example, we see how the theory of roulettes can be developed with the tools of calculus to solve some of the most fundamental problems in nature – such as the shape of the fastest path under gravity.”

Launched in February 2020, the Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition is a joint venture between Tom Rocks Maths and St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford, which asks secondary school pupils to explain their favourite mathematical topic in an essay aimed at a non-specialist audience. The hope is to give them experience in communicating complex ideas in an understandable manner and also to encourage them to engage with maths beyond the classroom.

Find out more about the Teddy Rocks Maths Essay Competition here.