Politics
The House Article | Why maths is the answer to so many of our policy and social problems
4 min read
Imagine ministers were in possession of a memo, that contained solutions to a whole range of policy headaches. But they couldn’t read it.
A memo that held the promise of new ways of thinking, that could unlock progress on huge issues like climate change, NHS efficiency and prison overcrowding. But government didn’t even recognise the language it was written in, far less comprehend it.
Sometimes it feels like that’s a situation we find ourselves in. The mystery language is maths. There’s real potential for more people in government and parliament to draw on mathematical insights when shaping policy. However, mathematical expertise isn’t as widespread across government and parliament as it could be, which means opportunities to use it are sometimes missed.
This week, we took a huge step to changing that. The Academy of Mathematical Sciences appointed its first 100 Fellows. Their remit is to represent the maths community to the public and to policy makers and to collaborate on some of the conundrums that face us as a nation.
The Fellows range from the head of GCHQ, our national codebreaking centre, to University Challenge champ and TV personality Bobby Seagull. From a primary school teacher from Cambridge to the Scottish Government’s maths adviser. They not only demonstrate the range of levels and livings that the mathematical sciences can lead to they bring the necessary breadth of expertise to tackle pressing policy issues.
For example, only this week the Secretary of State announced a programme of free AI training for all workers. It’s impossible to avoid AI and its impact. But how many recognise that under the bonnet it’s mathematical algorithms that underpin this transformative technology? Mathematician Marcus du Sautoy has characterised the way government and business has embraced the advantages of AI without supporting mathematicians and mathematical sciences as being like buying a Ferrari without any knowledge or curiosity about the fuel might actually make it go.
The Academy of Mathematical Sciences Fellows will work on solutions to ensure AI is safe and accurate by interrogating and improving the maths it relies on.
Unfortunately, national security is probably the number one priority for government right now. We are not safe without the mathematical sciences. Maths is fundamental to code breaking, defence strategy, even to mundane but vital calculations like how many tins of beans do you need to stock on an aircraft carrier to feed the crew for an entire deployment to ensure our servicemen and women don’t go hungry but our fighting capability is at maximum efficiency.
The Academy of Mathematical Sciences Fellows will collaborate to support the effort to stay ahead of the curve. That means keeping ahead of our adversaries on new technologies like quantum that will transform cryptography and ahead of the hackers launching thousands of hacks and online attacks every day against our digital infrastructure and our companies.
These are just a few of the challenges that the Fellows will take on. They will also consider energy policy – how to maximise production and efficiency and maintain and expand the grid for example.
And they will keep a profile in Whitehall and across the nation in an effort to alter and update the image of mathematics.
Too many people think of maths as equations on a blackboard. When in fact it is plotting a space flight, tracking a storm, improving outcomes for cancer patients, or forming an all conquering rock band (like Coldplay’s Jonny Buckland).
It’s a mindset that is common in Westminster too, and it’s holding us back. There are a few former teachers in parliament like me, Chris Vince and Mark Sewards that champion the subject. S/ While Parliament has plenty of talented people from wide range of backgrounds, including maths and STEM, for many colleagues, their last real encounter with maths was at school, and their perception hasn’t changed since.
The Fellows appointed this week are leaders who come together to harness the power of the mathematical sciences for the common good. I shall be encouraging government to engage with them at the earliest opportunity.
I love maths. Which is why know it has more to contribute to policy and society. The appointment of the Academy’s first 100 Fellows is a step towards that goal. The nation’s brightest future has maths at its heart.
Dave Robertson MP is a former teacher
