Concentrating on a certain topic of maths...

For my PS and oxbridge interview i have frequently been advised to concentrate on a certain topic of Maths and be able to discuss it well. However i don't really know what sorts of topics i should choose. Any suggestions and how i could read up on them?

Reply 1

AlphaNumeric

Unless you're extremely familiar with a certain area (which you don't seem to be or you wouldn't ask) saying something like "I find number theory very interesting" is both a lie and could seriously backfire on you in an interview for Oxbridge. Remember, the people interviewing you will know WAY more than you about anything you say to do with maths so you can't bluff them. I know I couldn't do it now and I'm 5 years older than you!

Be honest. If you have read about some area of maths which you find interesting, say so but don't make out you know more than you do. If you've read Simon Sings' "Code Book" and found it interesting, you can mention that and perhaps say it made you want to learn more, don't make out like you know a lot about prime numbers because you don't and even if you started learning now you'd still be an obvious novice come interview time.

You can stretch the truth about other areas of yourself, like sports or non-maths interests (most people do) but don't do it about your maths knowledge or maths interests, they'll see right through you if you start dropping technical words or ideas into the conversation which you don't understand but read on Wikipedia the night before and that'll just hurt your application.

Reply 2

Anarchy Everywhere

Ok thanks, i have just mentioned that i find two books very intresting, if they ask about those i could probably answer them it's just i feel i could use a good topic or something to read about. meh.

Reply 3

hungry_hog

Simon Singh's "Fermat's Last Theorem" is another good book and fairly accessible, but don't claim you understand the proof :wink:

Reply 4

aqfrenzy

I mentioned i found that book very interesting and that it made me want to read/learn more in my ps :smile:

Reply 5

Juwel

Thing is though; everyone is likely to have read that book. Read something else; that'll really show an interest in maths.

Reply 6

Esquire

You could just not apply to oxbridge and stop trying to be such a pretentious sod. Goodness, am I in one of these threads again?

Reply 7

Speleo

Hahaha Esquire, have you ever made a post in a maths thread that wasn't a bitter jab at oxbridge and/or its applicants?

Reply 8

Chewwy

Esquire

You could just not apply to oxbridge and stop trying to be such a pretentious sod. Goodness, am I in one of these threads again?

lol

Reply 9

Anarchy Everywhere

Esquire

You could just not apply to oxbridge and stop trying to be such a pretentious sod. Goodness, am I in one of these threads again?

Calm your passion son. If i have to lie and give some fake aura about me to get a more prestigous degree than i am fine with that, obviously now the whole village is going to come in this place and say Oxford are crap and University X is better but meh.

Now on topic, I haven't read Fermat's last theorem but i will have read Chaos by James Gleick and GEB by interview time, should i be putting Fermat's last theorem on my to do list aswell so if they ask 'have you read anything else not mentioned on your PS' i can stick that up their bums or am i fine?

Reply 10

Wrangler

Esquire

You could just not apply to oxbridge and stop trying to be such a pretentious sod. Goodness, am I in one of these threads again?

I forget. You applied to Oxford and got rejected, right?

tazmanmaniac

I think the main point is that if you say you enjoy subject X, be prepared to answer some (fairly tough) questions on subject X.

Reply 11

Esquire

wrangler

I forget. You applied to Oxford and got rejected, right?

You do realise that oxbridge probably only let you in because being Welsh counts as an ethnic minority application...*the claws come out now*.

Reply 12

apd35

Esquire

You do realise that oxbridge probably only let you in because being Welsh counts as an ethnic minority application...*the claws come out now*.

And I suppoes that's the only reason he got a first also :rolleyes:

The OP just wanted some tips to improve his chance of acceptance on to the course he wanted to do. I bet you tried to increase your chances as far as reasonably possible when applying to Oxford. I agree Oxbridge isn't the be all and end all but your earlier post sounded a bit like sour grapes to me.

Reply 13

Esquire

Lol it wasn't, seriously if you think that was sour grapes you should have seen some of my earlier posts in similar threads. I was trying to be breezy about it, hence the "goodness, am I in one of these threads again". I think only chewwy got that humour... But Wrangler, that was a low blow :tongue:

Reply 14

Orangesliver

Im in similar position, except my PS is sent off now. In my PS I wrote "Due to my interest I have started to read 'Complex Analysis' by H.A. Priestly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the chapters on topology and geometry in the complex plane. My fascination with topology started with the Mobius strip and it is a topic I greatly look forward to on the course. " I wanted to show that i have read only those chapters, has that come across?

Reply 15

Anarchy Everywhere

I sent mine off and didn't really highlight anything other than i was fascinated by stats' effect on the financial markets and consequently would like to read more about topics such as stochastic modelling however the problem is I'm not sure if KCL's pure maths course offer the oppurtunity to study that so they may reject me straight off, all i know is they have about 3 'probability & Statistics' modules which you can choose, i'm hoping one includes stochastic modelling.

Reply 16

AlphaNumeric

Orangesliver

I'd make sure you've read a fair bit about Mobius strips, even if it's just a lot of Wiki link clicking and reading. They don't expect you to start spitting out phrases like "unorientable" but it's basic properties, that sort of thng. I would guess the reason you like it is because it's only got one side.

Don't get that book's title confused with the course taught in the 2nd year of the same name. The material is quite different :wink:

Reply 17

Orangesliver

Yeah, I just found the book on amazon. It was interesting because it had one side and I'll read more about mobius strips. Should I expect difficult questions on those 2 chapters? Thanks for your advice.