UNSW Mathematics and Statistics

31/08/2026

Parabola Volume 62 Issue 2 is now out! :D
It's the biggest issue yet, 10 new problems, 16 articles, more problems from this year's School Mathematics Competition, the winner's list from the competition... and one more problem in the editorial. Plenty of good problems to have - enjoy!🤣❤
https://www.parabola.unsw.edu.au/issues/2020-present/year-2026-volume-62
PS to UNSW students: Best of luck with your marks, and enjoy the Break! 🍀🤞☀

Year 2026 - Volume 62 2020 - Present Volume 62 (2026) Volume 61 (2025) Volume 60 (2024) Volume 59 (2023) Volume 58 (2022) Volume 57 (2021) Volume 56 (2020) 2010 - 2019 Volume 55 (2019) Volume 54 (2018) Volume 53 (2017) Volume 52 (2016) Volume 51 (2015) Volume 50 (2014) Volume 49 (2013) Volume 48 (20...

15/07/2026

NEXT WEEK: Still time to register for our Nexus lecture, "It depends... bad decisions and how to avoid them", by world-leading researcher in ecological statistics and UNSW Professor of Statistics, David Warton.

From courtrooms and elections to finance and climate change, our decisions rely on data. But when we ignore the hidden relationships between the people or things we're studying, the results can be seriously misleading. Discover how accounting for dependence leads to better evidence-based decisions, and explore real-world examples of what happens when we get it wrong.

The talk will be followed by a networking reception. All welcome!

✅ Register now: https://bit.ly/4p24B4K

13/07/2026

Registrations are open for the 2026 Simon Marais Mathematics Competition for undergraduate university students.

The competition will be held on Saturday 10 October, and comprises a closed book exam. Students can enter individually or in pairs, and prizes are awarded to high performers.

✅ Find out more and how to register via: https://bit.ly/470ldRt

Get in before registration closes on 28 August!

09/07/2026

Want to spend a year working with UNSW Mathematics and Statistics? Applications for our 2027 Visiting Teaching Fellowship are open NOW! 👩🏻‍🏫

The VTF position is an integral and valued part of our first year teaching program. Through this position, you will consolidate and extend your knowledge of maths and how it is used in the modern world by teaching first year maths courses, engaging in curriculum development, and participating in outreach activities for schools and the community.

Hurry, applications close on 4 August!
✅ To apply and learn more about the program, visit:
www.unsw.edu.au/news/2026/07/teaching-fellow-maths-stats-2027

07/07/2026

We're thrilled to announce the promotion of eight of our academic staff members to Senior Lecturer 🎊

We celebrate the promotions of Tim Buttsworth, Ziyang Lyu, Sarat Moka, Sahani Pathiraja, Anna Romanov, Upanshu Sharma, Tom Stindl, and Michael Watson.

"Congratulations to our new Senior Lecturers! It’s a great acknowledgement of their contributions", said Head of School, Professor Andrew Francis.

"Going through the promotions process is hard work, so well done all".

06/07/2026

Registration is open for our next Nexus lecture, "It depends... bad decisions and how to avoid them", by world-leading researcher in ecological statistics and UNSW Professor of Statistics, David Warton.

From courtrooms and elections to finance and climate change, our decisions rely on data. But when we ignore the hidden relationships between the people or things we're studying, the results can be seriously misleading. Discover how accounting for dependence leads to better evidence-based decisions, and explore real-world examples of what happens when we get it wrong.

The talk will be followed by a networking reception. All welcome!
✅ Register now: https://bit.ly/4p24B4K

01/07/2026

We were thrilled to host the next generation of young women mathematicians at our annual Do The Maths event last month.

330 high school students from 27 schools joined us in the UNSW Roundhouse for a day of maths workshops, presentations, and a lively Q&A forum.

A very warm thank you to all attendees and to those who contributed to make the event such a success! The wonderful feedback we received from participants, their teachers and parents is testament to the transformative impact of the DTM program, which marked its 21st birthday this year! 🙂

🔹For a full event wrap up, see: https://bit.ly/3TcAkEs

29/06/2026

Join us on Friday for a seminar exploring Indigenous knowledge systems and their connection to mathematics, spirituality, and the cosmos.

This special session by Dr Henry Fowler (Navajo Technical University) will explore the deep connections between mathematics, spirituality, and culture within Diné knowledge systems.

This event will be delivered in person at UNSW, with an online option available via Microsoft Teams. Light refreshments will be provided following the seminar.

✅ RSVP via: https://bit.ly/4xTkyOV

05/06/2026

🔹Dr Michelle Dunbar: Making Maths Click🔹

Michelle Dunbar, an Education-Focussed Lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, didn’t always plan on a career in mathematics. “I came to UNSW to study physiotherapy, and I ended up changing my course completely,” she says.

The turning point came in her first year as an undergraduate.
“I had a wonderful lecturer who just changed my whole perspective on maths, made everything click, and I thought, oh, this is really beautiful... I really want to do this”.

Now, through her teaching and outreach, Michelle is helping create those same moments of discovery for the next generation of students. Ahead of the School’s flagship outreach event Do the Maths later this month, Michelle is helping run “chalkboard challenges”, a collaborative problem-solving activity designed to make mathematics approachable, social and fun.

At Open Day last year, chalkboards lined the walls as students drifted cautiously towards the problems. “The students are kind of a bit wary of approaching at first, but if they can see something that’s familiar, they tentatively have a go” Michelle says. Before long, hesitation gives way to competition.

“It turns into this big competition, and everybody wants to outdo each other,” she says. “We had so much fun at Open Day”.

The challenges range from Year 10 and Extension 1-style maths questions through to logic and reasoning puzzles where “you don’t need any specialist skills – sometimes the young children do better than the adults, because they’re not overthinking”.

For Michelle, that hands-on approach is central to learning mathematics. “Maths is kind of a subject where you learn by doing, not by watching necessarily,” she says. “You can see the polished solution, but once you actually get in there and try it, then you’re like, oh, okay, I didn’t think about that”. And it’s those moments of understanding, like Michelle had as a student, that continues to drive her work.

“I love seeing the penny drop, and a smile on their face, when students experience a flash of understanding - where they’re like, oh, now I get it!”.

-Profile by Liam Ruz, UNSW Science Snr Engagement Officer-

27/05/2026

Professor David Warton, who co-authored this study, said "A fun thing about being a statistician is that you can be involved in all sorts of interesting projects, and this was certainly one of them.
"It was fascinating to explore how the jackal is spreading around Europe and to find evidence that this is partly facilitated by humans.”

▶️ Read the journal article at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03060-y

Humans may be unintentionally reshaping predator dynamics across Europe.

New research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution suggests golden jackals are using human settlements as a “shield” from wolves, allowing them to expand into new regions across the continent.

The study, including research by UNSW researcher David Warton, found that while wolves remain the strongest constraint on jackal populations, proximity to humans appears to reduce this suppressive effect.

The researchers suggest that alongside climate change and land-use change, this “human shield” effect could allow jackals to occupy up to 75% of Europe.

Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03060-y