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In applying for a mathematical course I am conscious that I shall be working in a continuum as old as the thinking mind. Mathematics has for millennia satisfied Man's need for logic and reason and it is these qualities that draw me to wanting to study Mathematics to a high level. I am attracted to the way Mathematics has developed, with succeeding generations building upon the work of their predecessors. I enjoy knowing that the proof of, for example, Fermat's Last Theorem would not exist were it not for the developments of previous mathematicians. Simon Singh's "Fermat's Last Theorem" illustrated this point, showing that Andrew Wiles's discovery could not have been made without the cumulative effort of hundreds. To quote Newton, a mathematician is only able to see further "by standing on the shoulders of Giants".
I feel that applying Mathematics to the physical world is natural and intuitive. I wish to study Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics in order to find out how Mathematics is used to understand the workings of nature and to delve deeper into the mechanics of the universe. The Physics that I have learnt at school has become progressively mathematical and I relish this chance to apply techniques that I have learnt in Pure Mathematics lessons to physical problems. While I find the numbers and equations satisfying in their own right, I am also fascinated that they fit so perfectly to the physical world. While undertaking the "Making Sense of Data" coursework in my AS Physics course, I derived equations for, and showed that, water jets can display parabolic motion. I enjoyed experiencing first hand the abstract, mathematical relationships between tangible, physical quantities.
Throughout history both Mathematics and Physics have complemented each other; and progress in one often leads to progress in the other. For example, Riemann's developments in Non-Euclidean Geometry provided a platform for the mechanics of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.
For many years I have derived great enjoyment from reading books related to Mathematics and Physics. I particularly enjoyed reading Karl Sabbagh's "Dr. Riemann's Zeros" which showed me Mathematics is an ever developing subject with a number of unproved conjectures. I have furthered my interest in Mathematics and Physics outside the classroom by attending many lectures and found the "Maths in Action" and "Physics in Action" days especially interesting. The series' of lectures discussed several different topics within the two subjects and in doing so gave me an insight into the depth of both. Prof. R. Wilson has delivered many instructive talks at Gresham College and I was fascinated by his lecture entitled "4000 years of Numbers" which inspired me to discuss various types of numbers and their properties in my Senior Scholarship paper. While writing this paper I also researched and wrote about basic Set Theory, an area of Mathematics that I had not encountered before and in doing so I learnt of exciting concepts that were entirely new to me.
I greatly enjoy running my school's Mathematics Society, which aims to promote Mathematics academically and recreationally. This term the Society is looking forward to welcoming the notable speakers Mr D. Bodanis, Prof. S. Blackburn, and Dr. J. Silvester. Aside from Mathematics, a great passion of mine is the stage; I have acted in numerous plays including Lorca's "Blood Wedding" and Sheridan's "The Rivals", and have obtained the LAMDA gold medal in Acting. I am also currently working towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme's Gold Award.
Above all, my main reason for applying to your course is simply that I enjoy Mathematics and its applications. I enjoy learning about the complexities of Mathematics and the fundamentals of Physics and then applying this knowledge to particular situations. Most of all I like that this course will stretch me and require me to be logical, creative, systematic, thoughtful and inquisitive.
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