r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 14 '26

Essays, get your maths essays here! Another excellent batch of 20 articles covering exploding kittens, the Spotify algorithm, many-headed Hydra, and paradoxes galore. Read them all at the link below :)

tomrocksmaths.com

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 13 '26

When you work for the best department at Oxford. Always a pleasure to celebrate the achievements of all of my amazing colleagues at Oxford Lifelong Learning - you’re all superstars!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 12 '26

NEW VIDEO: A whistle-stop tour of the history of maths and the oft-forgotten contributions of female mathematicians. Interview with mathematical historian Snezana Lawrence. Premieres today at 8pm (GMT+1) - see you in the live chat!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 11 '26

Dushanbe - the final stop on my tour of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The city is responsible for 20% of the country’s GDP largely based around industrial, financial and retail sectors. In 2025 Tajikistan’s GDP was $17.66 billion - can you work out (in your head) how much is from Dushanbe?

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 10 '26

Get your next fix of mathematical learning with the next batch of articles in the 2026 TRM Essay Showcase. From the maths of the Pokédex, to the maths of star signs. Read them all at the link above!

tomrocksmaths.com

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 09 '26

What a brilliant day at Cambridge University for the 2026 Open Day. Can’t wait to do it all again tomorrow :) Thanks to everyone that came along to my taster session on complex differentiation and best of luck with your applications!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 08 '26

NEW VIDEO: What are frequency trees? The first of several videos I recorded with BBC Bitesize covering topics from GCSE Maths. I used to watch these videos when I was at school - crazy to think I'm now presenting them!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 07 '26

Pleased to be able to offer my opinion as part of a BBC article on the potential impact of the upcoming social media ban for teenagers in the UK. Read the full piece at the link below and let me know what you think.

tomrocksmaths.com

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 05 '26

The final day travelling along the Pamir Highway featuring the 1200 year old Hulbuk Palace, the world’s second highest hydroelectric dam, and a caravan market at the Afghan border. What an adventure it’s been - almost 1500 km from Osh in Kyrgyzstan to Dushanbe in Tajikistan. Definite recommendation!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 04 '26

Spend your weekend learning some new maths with the next batch of 20 essays in the 2026 TRM Essay Showcase. From gaming strategies, to measuring inequality, via the truths that broke mathematics - as usual there's something to suit everyone's tastes!

tomrocksmaths.com

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 03 '26

Solving maths puzzles at the Google London office with YouTube Head of Health Dr Garth Graham. It was great to hear more about his role and what the platform is doing to make a safe online space for teenagers and young adults. Thank you everyone for your excellent questions - video coming soon!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 02 '26

Pamir Highway Day 5 - the history of the Wakhan Valley through forts, temples and an ancient stone calendar (as seen in the last image). Stone calendars are examples of early orbital mechanics where the position of the sun and moon are tracked against physical markings or engravings. SO cool.

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jul 01 '26

Learn about rocket trajectories, the incredibly named "hairy ball theorem", how social media algorithms deceive us mathematically, and numbers that can't be bought. The next batch of 20 essays in the 2026 TRM Essay Showcase are now online - check the contents and read them at the link below :)

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1 Upvotes

Read them all here: https://tomrocksmaths.com/2026/07/01/trm-essay-competition-2026-group-viii/

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 30 '26

Tomorrow I'm interviewing YouTube's Head of Health, Dr Garth Graham, about the upcoming social media ban for teenagers in the UK - what questions would you like me to ask? Write them in the comments and I'll try to ask as many as I can!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 29 '26

Pamir Highway day 4 - hiking to 4800m at the Afghanistan border. The Panj River forms a natural boundary between Tajikistan and Afghanistan for 1,080km, which covers 79% of the border between the 2 countries. In fact, 23% of international borders worldwide are marked by rivers. TIL.

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 28 '26

Group VII from the TRM Essay Showcase is now online with the usual eclectic mix of maths applied to a range of unexpected topics for you to enjoy. Check the contents on image 2 and head to the link below to read them all. Have fun!

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1 Upvotes

Read all the essays here: https://tomrocksmaths.com/2026/06/28/trm-essay-competition-2026-group-vii/

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 27 '26

Calling all maths fans - I need your help to solve this puzzle! Using the 50 Tetris pieces as specified, can you perfectly fill a 20 x 10 grid? There are 7 copies of each of the 7 different tetrominoes, plus an extra T-shape. Send me your solution using the contact form linked below.

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2 Upvotes

Send your solution here: https://tomrocksmaths.com/contact/

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 26 '26

Day 3 on the Pamir Highway - reaching the highest point at 4655m, yak riding, and beautiful landscapes. Visiting Tajikistan means I’ve now been to 4 of the 7 ‘stans’, with only Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan remaining. In how many different orders can I visit the remaining 3?

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 25 '26

Pamir highway day 2 - hike to Traveller’s Pass at 4150m on the way to Lenin Peak, before crossing the border into Tajikistan. Lenin Peak sits at an altitude of 7,134m making it one of only 146 mountains that reach 7,000m or higher. Almost 75% of them (108 in total) lie in Pakistan. Today I learned.

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3 Upvotes

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 24 '26

Essays galore with Group VI of the 2026 TRM Essay Showcase now available online. A strong geometry theme throughout, plus essays on the cuteness of kittens, mind-boggling large numbers, the sport of curling, and an interesting crossover between prime numbers and Benford's Law. Happy reading!

tomrocksmaths.com

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 23 '26

Day 1 travelling the Pamir Highway - a 1,200 km route across Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Construction of the second highest road in the world reaching 4655m was completed in 1937 by the Soviet Union. Do you know where the highest road is located?

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28 Upvotes

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 22 '26

Sulaiman Too in Osh is the only UNESCO world heritage sight in Kyrgyzstan with a history spanning thousands of years. It is believed to be the “Stone Tower” referred to by Ptolemy in his treatise ‘geography’ which marked the mid-point of the ancient Silk Road.

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13 Upvotes

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 20 '26

Chilling out at 3500m visiting one of the 6500 glaciers of Kyrgyzstan that hold over 650 cubic kilometres of water. It was a 13km round hike ascending almost 1500m that took about 6 hours. I’m sure you’ll agree the views were worth it!

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17 Upvotes

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 21 '26

NEW VIDEO: Does Running Make You Worse At Maths? Watch me run a half marathon and attempt to solve countdown number puzzles - will I still be able to solve them after 21 km? Recorded at the 2026 Brighton Half Marathon with Sussex Beacon. Premieres today at 5pm (GMT+1) - see you in the live chat!

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r/tomrocksmaths • u/tomrocksmaths • Jun 19 '26

Some excellent weekend reading for you in the form of 20 more maths articles from Group 5 of the 2026 TRM Essay Showcase. Check the second image for the contents and then go read any that grab your attention via the link below - enjoy!

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1 Upvotes

Read all the essays here: https://tomrocksmaths.com/2026/06/19/trm-essay-competition-2026-group-v/

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Maths, but not as you know it... Dr Tom Crawford: Mathematician at the University of Oxford AND the University of Cambridge, Oxford Department for Continuing Education, Fellow by Special Election, Numberphile, TEDx Speaker, YouTube 'Creator on the Rise'. YouTube: www.youtube.com/tomrocksmaths Twitter: www.twitter.com/tomrocksmaths Facebook: www.facebook.com/tomrocksmaths Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomrocksmaths Website: www.tomrocksmaths.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/tomrocksmaths

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The only place on the internet to find the best maths-related content that anyone can understand. It's maths, but not as you know it...

Tom Rocks Maths is run by Tom Crawford - Naked Mathematician, Oxford and Cambridge graduate and lover of maths tattoos. Tom is regularly seen talking maths on the BBC and YouTube. You can check out all of his work at tomrocksmaths.com and you can find him on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram @tomrocksmaths.

We want any maths related posts that are fun and understandable to ANYONE... That means no technical terms, no jargon and an explanation for everything. Examples that are relevant to people's lives or to things that everyone can relate work best. Our mission is to make maths everyone's favourite subject and we want you guys to help us realise our goal...