Plus new writers award — bring maths to life

Maths is the language of the universe, so what have you got to say?

Here at Plus we try to open a door to the world of maths, with all its beauty and applications, by providing articles from top mathematicians and science writers on topics as diverse as art, medicine, cosmology and sport. But many people are still unconvinced of the relevance of mathematics to our daily lives.

This is why every year we hold our maths essay competition, the Plus new writers award: to find the people who can bring mathematics to life. The competition is open to new writers of any age and from any background who can explain a mathematical topic or application they think the world needs to know about. The winning entries will be read by an international audience of over two hundred thousand in the June 2008 issue of Plus, and the winners will receive an iPod and signed copies of popular maths books by some of the best science writers today, and a subscription to the journal Nature, kindly donated by its publisher. The closing date is March 31st 2008.

The competition is kindly supported by the Maths, Stats and Operational Research Network, a Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy, and the London Mathematical Society.

"It was people telling the big mathematical stories that made me realise at school that there was much more to maths than simple long division," says Marcus du Sautoy, author of the best-selling book The music of the primes and one of the judges of last year's Plus new writers award. "Reading these stories inspired me to want to make my own mathematical breakthroughs. The future of mathematics depends on capturing the imaginations of those who will become the next generation of mathematicians." The competition will be judged by three prominent mathematicians and science writers.

There are three categories: secondary school and sixth form students, university students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) and the general public.

• Secondary school and sixth form students are invited to submit a piece of up to 900 words on the life and/or work of a mathematician of their choice, living or dead. Helpful resources and hints are given in the guidelines for school entrants.
• University students and the general public are invited to write a 1500 word piece on any mathematical subject of their choice. Helpful hints are given in the guidelines for universities and the general public entrants.

If you think you can share your passion for maths with the general public, download your entry pack today and get writing!!

• Competition prizes
• Guidelines for school entrants
• Guidelines for university student and general public entrants
• Rules of the competition
• Download competition poster
• Download entry pack (PDF or Word) (includes guidelines, rules, entry form and copyright form)
• Subscribe to the Plus fortnightly newsletter for competition updates