Remembering John Fauvel (1947-2001): Scholar, Mentor, Organiser
May 12th 2026 marks 25 years since the death of John Fauvel, one of Britain’s most distinguished historians of mathematics. This blog post gives a snapshot of Fauvel’s life and work, explores the Fauvel Collection at the OU and introduces the newly launched John Fauvel Invited Lecture.
Event Report: BSHM Research in Progress 2026
Missed the RiP meeting in March? Luke
Mathematics in Difficult Times: The Hidden Collaboration of Elli and Heinrich Heesch
Have you ever heard of Elli Heesch (1904-1993), a German logician and philosopher who spent a brief research period at Princeton as a nun? You may have heard of her brother, Heinrich Heesch (1906–1995), a notable German mathematician recognised for developing the “discharging method”, which played a crucial role in the 1977 computer-aided proof of the four-colour theorem. However, the collaboration between Heinrich and Elli Heesch on tiling problems and their industrial applications during World War II remains largely unknown.
Meet the Council: Tom Briggs
At our Christmas 2025 AGM, we elected Tom Briggs as our newest ordinary council member. This blog introduces Tom, his interests and his journey into the history of mathematics! Who […]
A day in the life at the Royal Observatory Greenwich: Behind the scenes with the Airy Family
(Editor’s note: the reader must excuse (or enjoy) a brief foray into the history of astronomy, this partially grew out of work presented at the BSHM Research in Progress in […]
Counting on Mars: Francis Galton and the Universal Language of Mathematics
In the late 19th century, as telescopes peered into the mysterious red glow of Mars, a peculiar idea captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike: could we communicate […]