I read with interest your article in response to Andy Haldane’s comments suggesting maths could be rebranded as numeracy (Pass notes, 18 May). I welcome Mr Haldane’s support for the mathematical sciences and appreciate his intent to make the subject approachable to all. Nevertheless, his proposal to alter the language around maths I find less appealing. Just as literacy is a necessary requisite to enjoy the richness and benefits of literature, so numeracy is just the key to unlocking the many wonders that mathematics provides.
We should celebrate the diversity and complexity of maths and not shy away from making the case for why that makes the subject interesting, challenging and relevant.
I would propose that the way to increase interest in the mathematical sciences and perpetuate the UK’s place as a maths superpower is not to tinker with what we call the subject but to invest in it properly to ensure that people of all ages have access to opportunities to receive the best possible teaching, pursue innovative research, and to experience the poetry of maths in all its fantastic and surprising depth.
Prof Ulrike Tillmann
President, London Mathematical Society; Protect Pure Maths campaign
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