Our Academic Scholars got together with some popcorn and snacks in the Ruddle snug yesterday lunchtime to join an online lecture on 'The Maths of Board Games' hosted by Gresham College. Professor Sarah Hart, Professor of Geometry asked the questions, ‘Why are there chess Grandmasters, but not Grandmasters of noughts and crosses? It is because chess is “harder” – but what do we really mean by that?’ She will look at the complexity of popular games, and ask: what is the hardest game of all time?

The pupils gave some feedback on how much they had enjoyed the session:

The lecture was very productive and Sarah Hart, the guest speaker, was very informative though also presented the numbers in simple bite sized chunks that helped you learn them. I feel that this is a very interesting topic that provides a good base for Further Maths A Level or maybe even an extra work topic. Though very complicated, I felt that due to Sarah’s teaching methods I managed to digest more information. 

Dylan, Form 3

This was a great opportunity for all the academic scholars to enhance all of our maths skills. The speaker was really inspiring. 

Tyler, Form 1

I think it was very interesting to see how complex board games actually are and how long it would take to actually find a method of solving them. The lecturer was very good and made it easier to understand. 

Esther, Form 1

This talk was very interesting and insightful, particularly because I want to do computer science at university. Sarah made the lecture very informative, and she made the maths fairly simple to understand. The extensive use of diagrams and her enthusiasm made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable, and you could really tell that she enjoyed the topic. Talks like these help to develop problem solving skills and understanding of the wider world. 

Sebastian, Lower Sixth

The lecture by Gresham College was insightful and engaging. I have been encouraged to think out of the box since watching the lecture, the problem-solving skills used by Sarah from Gresham will be beneficial for A-Level maths and applied mathematics. 

George, Upper Sixth 

The lecturer was very animated and was very knowledgeable about the topic and was able to answer the questions well. The lecture itself was informative and offered interesting viewpoints on different games and strategies. 

Alice, Lower Sixth

The lecture was very informative, especially the parts about algorithms, and it gave me a lot of information which will hopefully help me in my further maths studies this year and next. 

Alice, Lower Sixth 

The lecture with Sarah Hart looked at the complexity of board games and the maths that comes with it. It was very interesting to see the trees and the possibilities for winning each game. I found it both interesting and complicated at the same time. 

Izzy, Lower Sixth