The Maths behind the Olympic Games

John Barrow, University of Cambridge

What's the connection between the Olympic Games and Maths?

The material linked to this webpage was used in a conference for 14-16 year old students at the time of the Athens Olympics in 2004.  

John Barrow, Director of the award-winning Millennium Mathematics Project and a Fellow of the Royal Society, explains the some of the maths which underlies sport. The accompanying projects are intended to help students to investigate further the links between maths and a variety of sporting activities.

You can find lots more resources on maths in sport, including articles, problem-solving activities and investigative projects, on our new Maths and Sport: Countdown to the Games website.

John Barrow's talk:

1. Where is the maths in sport?
2. Balance and inertia
3. High jump
4. Weight and strength
5. Winning scores