Maths at the Movies: Predicting Income

In two years (so far) of pandemic responses many business in many sectors have suffered. Just one of these is the movie industry, with cinemas now trying to recoup revenue lost during long periods of closure and reduced patronage.

Hollywood Theatre (1935) Entrance by Heritage Vancouver/Patrick Gunn is licenced under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The article linked below, posted by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), briefly introduces four methods for modelling the performance of past movies at the box office with a view to predicting future income. As with most explorations of mathematical topics, the principles covered here could be applied to different situations in other industries.

Could Mathematics Be Big at the Box Office?

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The Man Who Knew Infinity - Maths in the Movies

The Man Who Knew Infinity (DVD):
amzn.to/3mCIljh

At the time of writing The Man Who Knew Infinity is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, or it can be bought or rented via Amazon Prime Video.

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a biographical drama about real-life Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who made a number of contributions to pure mathematics during his relatively short life. The movie focuses on his work with English Mathematician G. H. Hardy at Cambridge University following a postal correspondence that convinced Hardy of Ramanujan's brilliance.

Every GCHQ Christmas Card

For the past few years (with some gaps) GCHQ have released a very special card at Christmas. Not just a device for wishing recipients the best of the season, it includes puzzles to solve! These are usually presented as a series of brainteasers of increasing difficulty, with the early stages usually pretty accessible, and the later ones a bit more challenging.

Here are links to each one so far, with a preview of each:

2021

GCHQ's 2021 Christmas Card - Preview

Links: GCHQ Blog Post | Card (.pdf) | Card adapted for schools (.pdf) | Solutions (.pdf)

The Allusionist: Num8er5

The Allusionist is a podcast focusing on language, and this episode, Num8er5, is all about, well, numbers. You can listen to it in the player below, or read more information (including a link to its page at the Allusionist) underneath that.

The episode compares the development and use of numbers as expressed verbally with numeral systems for writing them down. It provides an interesting thread through aspects of history that are relevant to both language and mathematics, and touches upon number use across different societies, cultures and civilisations throughout history. Click the link below to listen to the episode on The Allusionist's website, where there is further information and links to related resources including other episodes.

The Allusionist: Num8er5

Maths is Forever

One of a collection of posters produced for World Year of Mathematics 2000 and displayed on trains in the London Underground, this one focuses on the Twelve Days of Christmas, with a quick nod to proof.

This is a low-res version. Download the full-sized image at the link below:

World Mathematical Year 2000 London Underground Posters

Also available to purchase in a set of all 12 posters pre-printed at 61cm x 28cm from the Mathematical Association.