News

A cross-section of a tree truck, showing its rings
12 August 2020

Researchers unlock secrets of the past with new international carbon dating standard

An international team of scientists have recalculated the curves used for radiocarbon dating for the first time in seven years.
Long-tailed tit
Credit: Billy Clapham
11 August 2020

Mathematical patterns help researchers understand bird behaviour in Sheffield

The research found that flocks of long-tailed tits segregated themselves from other flocks, avoiding areas with larger flocks of birds.
Students taking part in the online International Mathematics Competition alongside staff invigilators.
Students taking part in the online International Mathematics Competition alongside staff invigilators.
7 August 2020

Students go online to tackle maths problems on the international stage

Undergraduates from the School of Mathematics and Statistics took part in the International Mathematics Competition for University Students.
Dr Kirill Mackenzie

Dr Kirill Mackenzie, 1951-2020

Dr Kirill Mackenzie, a long-serving staff member in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, died on 2 May 2020, aged 68. The following obituary was written by his colleague Professor David Jordan for the London Mathematical Society.

13 November 2020
An ancient tree trunk

From cave art to climate chaos: how a new carbon dating timeline is changing our view of history

Dr Tim Heaton explains the recalculated the radiocarbon dating curves that will help scientists build up a more accurate picture of the past.

13 August 2020 | Published by The Conversation
Classroom

Opening schools should be prioritised, according to new report

It’s estimated that, without action, from the mid 2030s for the 50 years following that, around a quarter of the workforce will have lower skills.

24 July 2020
Jessica Kirk

Pharmaceutical industry prize for student planning medical statistics career

Jessica Kirk has been awarded a student prize by Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry (PSI).

21 July 2020
A profile photo of Will Oxley

Undergraduate student publishes research in top academic journals

A student in the School of Mathematics and Statistics has published his second paper in the leading journal in his field – all before completing his undergraduate degree.

3 March 2020
Students taking part in the SoMaS Challenge

Student teams tackle tough maths problems in annual challenge

Students at the University of Sheffield have been sinking their teeth into satisfyingly difficult maths problems as part of our annual challenge for undergraduates.

13 December 2019
Dr Jiajia Liu receiving the Alexander Chizhevsky Medal

Prestigious international award for solar physics researcher

A researcher in the School of Mathematics and Statistics has been awarded the prestigious International Alexander Chizhevsky Medal for his work on space weather and space climate.

12 December 2019
The sun

Higher resolution telescopes could solve one of the biggest mysteries in modern astrophysics

University of Sheffield scientists, as part of an international team, have moved a step closer to solving a mystery which has puzzled applied mathematicians and physicists for over a century.

5 December 2019
Kriss Ceuca and Natasha Ellison

Researcher studies shark patterns in Maldives for documentary celebrating Alan Turing’s legacy

A researcher at the University of Sheffield helps explain the mathematics behind patterns found in nature in a new documentary.

11 November 2019
Magnetic plasma pulses excited by UK-size swirls in the solar atmosphere

Magnetic plasma pulses excited by UK-size swirls in the solar atmosphere

Research led by the University of Sheffield shows the first observational evidence that ubiquitous swirls in the solar atmosphere could generate short-lived Alfvén pulses.

5 August 2019