Jackson Pollock's fractals

I read John Dunford's article on the negative image of maths teachers (Could do better, January 4) with great interest. Working on an outreach programme set up by the University of Cambridge to promote interest in and appreciation of maths, we're all too aware that attracting maths graduates into teaching is difficult.

Unfortunately, it's not just the teachers who are seen to be uncool - there is a common belief that maths is boring and difficult.

While we might not be able to help poor beleaguered maths teachers to follow Mr Dunford's orders to lose weight, shave and wear contact lenses, we could suggest some topics of conversation other than quadratic equations. Our online mathematics magazine,Plus, features articles ranging from the maths of limericks and the appearance of fractals in Jackson Pollock's paintings to whether the universe has any edges. The current issue also explains how to mathematically morph faces from Cleopatra to JFK - or maybe even from a "fat, bald nerd with glasses" to Liz Hurley.
Julia Hawkins
University of Cambridge

• Maths teachers may not be nerds, but I have never met a maths teacher without an eccentricity. I once had a cool, young hip teacher. Unfortunately, he soon buckled under the weight of teaching and being a human at the same time, so he got his nipple pierced, threw a bag out of a closed first-floor window and had a nervous breakdown. Nice try Mr Dunford.
Laurie Page
Brighton, E Sussex