Author: Dr. McDonald

One relatively recent branch of mathematics that you may encounter at university is called graph theory. This branch of mathematics has nothing to do with bar graphs, pie charts, etc., but is instead concerned with the study of graphical networks (graphs), which look like “connect-the-dots” puzzles—the dots are called vertices, and the lines connecting them are called edges.

One pioneer in the field of graph theory is Bill Tutte, and you can read an article about him and his role in the Second World War here.

If you’ve got a desktop or laptop Mac, GeoGebra 5 is now available in the Mac App Store. (A Windows version should be available soon too).

GeoGebra 5 adds 3D graphing capabilities. Earlier in the course we had looked at a question that had a geometric interpretation. Have a look at the new version of GeoGebra and see if you can produce a visual representation of the problem we had solved.

The second Fields Medal in mathematics was recently awarded. You can read more about this award here.

This was a year of many firsts for Fields Medal recipients, with the first woman, first Iranian, and first Brazilian winning the award.