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Mathematics

Welcome to the Mathematics subject page at King's! Here you will find details of the Cambridge course, Mathematics at King's, the people who teach and research here and how to apply.

Mathematics at Cambridge

The Mathematics course is suitable for candidates with either single or double maths at A level (or equivalent). During the first two years (Parts IA and IB) there are courses on a wide range of mathematics. In the later part of the second year there are also some optional courses available. The third year is a unified course with subjects available to those intending to pursue further their study of maths and also subjects of a more general nature. The intention is to offer each student the opportunity to pick-and-mix, to choose a combination of courses tailored individually to their abilities and aspirations.

Typically there are two lectures a day Monday to Saturday. Each hour contains highly condensed material, and it usually takes a further hour by oneself to unravel it. First and second year lectures take place in the centre of Cambridge, very close to King's - highly convenient for the late riser. Third and fourth year lectures are about 15 minutes' walk away at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, a prestigious, (architectural) prize-winning, new complex, which is an exciting place in which to learn, research or teach.

Mathematics at King's

The differences between the colleges occur in the supervisions they offer. The norm is for each pair of students to have two one hour sessions alone with a suitable teacher to sort out the new material and check the understanding of the old. Currently the maths teaching staff at King's consists of two Lecturers, a Reader and four Professors. In addition, we use the four King's Research Fellows and several excellent research students for specialist teaching.

There's a good sense of community amongst the Mathematicians at King's. The "mathmos" get to know each other well, and since everyone gets stuck sometimes, it is really useful to have other students being helpful as well as supervisors.

After completing the degree students enter a variety of professions. About one third of King's students do further work in Mathematics, often taking Part III of the Mathematical Tripos before doing research.

Fellows in Mathematics

Nathanaël Berestycki

Nathanaël Berestycki (Director of Studies, Part IA) is a University Lecturer in the Statistical Laboratory in the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS). His area of specialism is Mathematical probability theory.

Camille Bonvin

Camille Bonvin is a Research Fellow. She works at the Institute of Astronomy and is interested in cosmology, particularly dark energy and modified gravity, weak gravitational lensing, and primordial magnetic fields.

Keith Carne

Keith Carne is a member of The Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS). His research interests include geometric complex analysis and the statistical theory of shape.

Anne Davis

Anne Davis (Director of Studies, Part II) is a Professor of Theoretical Physics. She is part of the High Energy Research Group in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP). Her current research is on particle cosmology.

Felix Fischer

Felix Fischer is a member of the Statistical Laboratory. He is interested in game theory, social choice theory, and mechanism design, including their computational aspects and application to computational systems.

Herbert Huppert

Herbert Huppert is Professor of Theoretical Geophysics and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, University of Cambridge. He is particularly interested in general fluid mechanics, especially as applied to the Earth Sciences.

Martin Hyland

Martin Hyland (Director of Studies, Part III) is a Professor of Mathematical Logic and Head of the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS). His research is focused on abstract mathematics (category theory in particular) applied to logic (proof theory), theoretical computer science (semantics) and higher dimensional algebra.

Richard Józsa

Richard Józsa (Director of Studies, Part IB) is Leigh Trapnell Professor of Quantum Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP). His research area is quantum computation and quantum information theory, a modern cross-disciplinary subject studying ways in which fundamental quantum effects can provide extraordinary new capabilities for information processing (computation) and communication. He is a member of the Centre for Quantum Information and Foundations.

Yanki Lekili

Yanki Lekili is a Research Fellow in Mathematics at King's. His main interests include symplectic topology, low-dimensional topology and gauge theory. More recently he has been working on the homological mirror symmetry conjecture.

Clement Mouhot

Clément Mouhot is a Fellow Mathematics at King's and a Reader in mathematical physics at the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS). He is interested in partial differential equations, functional inequalities and stochastic processes motivated by physics.

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Jonathan Pridham is a Research Fellow in Pure Mathematics at King's. He works on applications of homotopy theory to algebraic geometry (especially derived algebraic geometry) and the homotopy theory of algebraic varieties.

Oscar Randal-Williams

Oscar Randal-Williams is a Research Fellow in Mathematics at King's. He works on algebraic and geometric topology.

John Stewart

John Stewart is a Reader in Gravitational Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), and Director of Studies at King's. His research is on the numerical investigation of the dynamics of strong gravitational fields and he is a member of the Relativity and Gravitation Group.

You may also be interested to read about the Mathematics tradition at King's.

Applying for Mathematics at King's

An A level or equivalent in Mathematics is essential. Further Mathematics or Physics (preferably both) are desirable, but candidates whose schools are unable to offer these courses should not be discouraged from applying. We believe that the STEP papers in Mathematics and Further Mathematics are extremely useful preparation and so most of our conditional offers will be based on both our standard entrance requirements and the relevant STEP paper(s).

It is a King's tradition to welcome candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. Women are underrepresented in university Mathematics courses. We therefore actively encourage applications from women to study Mathematics at King's. Part IA is tough, and we therefore have to select those candidates we think will benefit from the challenge. 

We advise candidates to read the how to apply page thoroughly for details of the application process and timetable. Candidates invited for interviews at King's sit a written test lasting one hour, and have one or two interviews with college mathematics staff, in which we try to assess the candidate's mathematical skills and motivation.

The number of offers for Mathematics varies from year to year, but we would expect to make between twelve and fifteen offers. It is not necessarily more difficult to gain admission to Cambridge if you apply to a prestigious college. It has, in the past, been easy to persuade other colleges to take some of our gifted candidates through the pool system in years when we have been over-subscribed.

The Faculty of Mathematics produces a Guide to Admissions with more detailed information about the course as well as a guide to STEP resources and a reading list. This guide can be downloaded from the Faculty website.

What are we looking for?

The most important criteria are enthusiasm, dedication and potential and we consider each case on an individual basis. This course requires a considerable commitment in terms of time and energy, as it is one of the most challenging mathematics undergraduate courses in the UK. But, as our many successful previous students will tell you, it is well worth the effort!

We will be interested in:

  • your existing examination results which we consider carefully, taking into account your personal and educational background;
  • your academic interests and motivation as explained in your UCAS personal statement and explored further in interviews;
  • your school reference and predicted grades for any exams you have yet to take;
  • your performance in the written test;
  • how you approach mathematical questions designed to make you think in interviews - our interviewers will work closely with you to assess your suitability for the challenges of Cambridge Mathematics.

At King's, we are looking for promise and potential. So although existing and predicted grades form a central criterion for admissions, we are careful to interpret grades in light of your personal and educational background. We assess each application individually. We are interested to learn about your existing knowledge and skills, but we endeavour also to find out how you would deal with the new materials and ideas you would encounter at Cambridge.

Resources and events

Student perspectives

Felicity

Felicity (pictured left) and Jo have written about their experiences of studying Mathematics at King's, including the transition from school maths, supervisions, the workload, the application process, STEP, and the best and worst things about Cambridge Maths. These pieces are well worth reading to get a sense of what being a King's mathematician is really like. 

Further information

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