History, Mathematics, and the Public
History, Mathematics, and the Public’ (HMP) is a public history project that explores effective and sustainable options for engaging the public with the history of mathematics. History of mathematics brings together the expertise of historians, mathematicians and others, often working in close collaboration. It can draw the public in to aspects of history that seldom get addressed – for example navigation or weather forecasting – and of humanising mathematics, a subject that can otherwise seem dauntingly abstract to many people.
Numeracy pre-dates literacy and mathematics has shaped, and been shaped by, societies all over the world for at least 6000 years and arguably over 20,000. Current concerns are developing a global history of maths, including an understanding of the place of Scottish mathematics in such a global history.
The past academic year (2024 – 2025), the VIP project specialised in one area, the role of mathematics in fishery science. Fishery science was one of the first fields of ecology to become quite mathematical in the early 20th century perhaps because it is difficult to count the fish in the sea. N.B. “fishery science” in this context could include the science underpinning whaling as whales were regarded as an exploitable resource just like fish for most of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 2025 – 2026 semester 2, in addition to maths in fishery science, topic options also cover the history of statistics, including ethical aspects as well as the implications of statistics for critical thinking in STEM.
Activities could include:
- public engagement about the mathematical history of fishery science possibly with some local flavour (see below)
- researching the history of mathematics and statistics in fishery science and its connections to St Andrews and other local universities and institutions (most especially in Dundee and Edinburgh) through documentary and image sources, material objects, or oral history
- explorations of why fishery science went mathematical so early, what expertise it drew on, and the background of the early mathematical fishery scientists.
Each semester, the team will agree the focus of activity for that semester and work together to develop materials, implement activities, and evaluate their success. Some team members may lead on research, locating sources and images, and interpreting both the mathematical and contextual elements for the public. Other team members may explore how best to engage the public and develop evaluation plans. This could include the development of both digital and non-digital public engagement packages. HMP provides opportunities for all students to gain teamwork skills.
Candidate Eligibility
Students from any discipline are welcome to apply. However, only a maximum of 10 places are available per semester.
HMP will suit students with an interest in public history, history of science or maths/science communication. This might be through the power of storytelling in a variety of different media, or through interactive activities (virtual or in person). Further expertise, often found in the Schools of Computer Science, Management, or International Relations, will be useful for exploring how best to present to public audiences, promoting the project, and ensuring that it is sustainable. Language students can make a valuable contribution to developing a global perspective, especially through discovery and interpretation of non-English sources.
This year, given the subject material, we are especially keen to hear from students in:
- History
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Biology
- Modern languages
Apply now!
Application for Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) modules for 2026-2027 – Fill out form
Questions? Write to [email protected]