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Institute of Mathematics and its Applications

The IMA is the professional and learned society for qualified and practising mathematicians

05/10/2026

Black History Month: David Harold Blackwell

David Harold Blackwell was a pioneering mathematician and statistician whose work shaped areas including probability, statistics, game theory and information theory.

Born in 1919, Blackwell became the first African American elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1965. He made major contributions to the mathematics of decision-making and uncertainty, with ideas that continue to influence statistics and information theory today.

His career also broke important barriers. At the University of California, Berkeley, he became the first African American tenured faculty member in the Department of Statistics.

Blackwell will also be the subject of one of the workshops at this year’s Black Heroes of Mathematics Youth Festival, giving young people the chance to explore his work and legacy.

02/10/2026

Black Heroes of Mathematics Youth Festival 2026

What happens when young people meet the mathematicians behind the mathematics?

The Black Heroes of Mathematics Youth Festival returns this October, running alongside the Black Heroes of Mathematics Conference and giving young people the opportunity to explore mathematics through the stories, experiences and expertise of inspiring Black mathematicians.

Taking place online on 7th and 8th October, the free festival is designed for pupils aged 8–14, with four live, classroom-ready sessions across the two days.

On 7th October, pupils will discover the work and legacy of David Blackwell with Nira Chamberlain and Juliet Ojiako.

On 8th October, Jason Anquandah and Herb Daly will explore the world of AI in “Get Smart About AI.”, looking at how mathematics helps us understand and shape this rapidly developing field.

The Youth Festival is delivered by Big Ideas alongside the Black Heroes of Mathematics Conference, with support from the IMA, the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences and the London Mathematical Society.

📅 7th 8th October 2026
💻 Live online
🎓 Ages 8–14
🎟️ Free for UK schools

A chance to bring mathematics to life through the people who are using it, researching it and pushing it forward.

https://www.big-ideas.org/black-heroes-of-mathematics-youth-festival-2026

30/09/2026

This October, the Black Heroes of Mathematics Conference 2026 will bring together mathematicians, educators, students and advocates to celebrate Black brilliance and recognise the contributions of Black role models across mathematics and mathematics education.

Taking place on 7th–8th October 2026 at ICMS, Bayes Centre in Edinburgh, the conference will feature a fantastic programme of speakers, chaired by Dr Luke Davis.

Featured speakers include Prof Dr Nira Chamberlain, Dr Jason Anquandah, Dr Herbert Daly, Dr Justine Nasaje, Oluwaseun Olushola, Dr Nneka Umeorah, Kofi Jackson, Dr Imoleayomide Ajayi and Prof Alain Zemkoho.

The two-day event is being delivered by the IMA, ICMS and London Mathematical Society, in partnership with Big Ideas, and will form part of a wider celebration for Black History Month. There will also be a virtual Youth Festival, giving schools across the UK the opportunity to engage with mathematical role models and inspiring stories.

The conference is free and hybrid, so you can join from Edinburgh or online.

7th–8th October 2026

ICMS, Bayes Centre, Edinburgh + online

Find out more and register: https://ima.org.uk/29216/black-heroes-of-mathematics-conference-2026

28/09/2026

Join the IMA • Be Part of a Thriving Mathematical Community

Passionate about mathematics? Whether you're a student, researcher, or professional, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) welcomes you!

✅ Gain access to career development opportunities
�✅ Connect with a network of mathematicians & industry experts
�✅ Stay updated with exclusive events, conferences & publications
�✅ Enhance your credentials with professional membership grades

How to Join:
�1) Check which membership grade suits you best (via www.ima.org.uk)
�2) Apply easily through myIMA: www.my.ima.org.uk
�3) Start enjoying the benefits of IMA membership

📢 Be part of a community dedicated to advancing mathematics. Apply today!

25/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2nd IMA Congress: AI Unlocked: Innovation, Insight and Impact.

It was fantastic to welcome so many delegates, speakers and contributors for two days of discussion, collaboration and insight into the rapidly developing world of artificial intelligence.

A particular congratulations to our award winners:

🏆 Neva Fradd – Winner of the Best Masters Project

🏆 Muizz Asif – Winner of the Best PhD Student Paper

🏆 Artem Chura – System Holdings VN Excellence Award

Congratulations to all three on their achievements, and thank you to everyone who attended, presented, contributed to discussions and helped make AI Unlocked such a successful event.

We hope everyone who joined us took away new ideas, connections and perspectives, and we look forward to seeing you at future IMA events.

24/09/2026

Maths Week Scotland | Maths Matters

It’s been great to see the events, activities and articles being shared across the mathematics community as part of this year’s Maths Week Scotland.

This year’s theme, Maths Matters, is one that particularly resonates with us at the IMA, given our own Mathematics Matters campaign, which highlights the importance and impact of mathematics across society.

From education and research to engineering, technology, finance and everyday decision-making, mathematics plays a fundamental role in so many aspects of our lives.

Maths Week Scotland provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate that contribution, inspire curiosity and showcase the many different ways mathematics shapes the world around us.

We’ll be continuing to follow the activity throughout the week and celebrating the people and organisations helping to demonstrate just how much maths matters.

23/09/2026

Hertha Ayrton was a mathematician, engineer, inventor and suffragette whose work crossed the boundaries of science, engineering and social change. Yet much of her story remains unfamiliar.

On Thursday 8 October, the IMA London and South East Branch will explore the extraordinary life of Hertha Ayrton in a talk by Professor Edward (Ed) Rochead CMath FIMA AFWES.

Born in Portsmouth in 1854, Ayrton put herself through university and went on to become a leading mathematician and engineer. She was a close friend of Marie Curie, was refused Fellowship of the Royal Society because, as a married woman, she was not considered a “legal entity”, and became a prominent figure in the suffrage movement.

The talk will explore Ayrton’s mathematical and engineering work, her life as a suffragette, and the question of why such a remarkable figure has been largely lost to history.

There will also be a special opportunity to see and examine a selection of Hertha Ayrton-related exhibits brought along by Anne Locker, Archivist at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, before the talk.

📅 Thursday 8th October 2026
🕡 6:30pm
📍 Huxley Building, Room 340, Imperial College London

The event is free, open to both IMA members and non-members, and booking is not required.

Find out more: [https://ima.org.uk/30012/mathematician-engineer-and-suffragette-the-extraordinary-life-of-hertha-ayrton

22/09/2026

Call for Posters: IMA Conference on Cryptography and Coding 2026

The 20th IMA International Conference on Cryptography and Coding takes place on 15th-16th December 2026 at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester.

We’re still accepting submissions for Posters for this event, and the deadline is fast approaching.

The conference welcomes original research across cryptography and coding theory - from foundational mathematics and cryptographic primitives to protocols, secure implementation, storage codes and applied work across communications and security.

Visit https://ima.org.uk/28271/20th-ima-international-conference-on-cryptography-and-coding/ for further details.

18/09/2026

This October, the Black Heroes of Mathematics Conference 2026 will bring together mathematicians, educators, students and advocates to celebrate Black brilliance and recognise the contributions of Black role models across mathematics and mathematics education.

Taking place on 7th–8th October 2026 at ICMS, Bayes Centre in Edinburgh, the conference will feature a fantastic programme of speakers, chaired by Dr Luke Davis.

Featured speakers include Dr Jason Anquandah, Dr Herbert Daly, Dr Justine Nasaje, Oluwaseun Olushola, Dr Nneka Umeorah, Kofi Jackson, Dr Imoleayomide Ajayi and Prof Alain Zemkoho.

The two-day event is being delivered by the IMA, ICMS and London Mathematical Society, in partnership with Big Ideas, and will form part of a wider celebration for Black History Month. There will also be a virtual Youth Festival, giving schools across the UK the opportunity to engage with mathematical role models and inspiring stories.

The conference is free and hybrid, so you can join from Edinburgh or online.

7th–8th October 2026
ICMS, Bayes Centre, Edinburgh + online

Find out more and register: https://ima.org.uk/29216/black-heroes-of-mathematics-conference-2026

16/09/2026

The call for papers for the IMA Lighthill-Thwaites Prize 2027 is now open.

Awarded biennially, the prize was established in recognition of the IMA’s first two Presidents, Professor Sir James Lighthill and Professor Sir Bryan Thwaites, whose contributions helped lay the foundations of the Institute we know today.

Designed to encourage early career researchers, the prize recognises original research across any area of the application of mathematics within the scope of the IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics.

Published work, work submitted for publication and previously unpublished research can all be considered, provided the work is original.

The competition is open to candidates who have spent no more than five years in further study or full-time equivalent work since beginning their first PhD, with allowances made for career breaks. Undergraduate-level students are also eligible, and the prize is open to candidates of any nationality.

Shortlisted finalists will be invited to present their work at a special session of BAMC 2027 at Keele, with one winner receiving a certificate and a £1,000 prize co-funded jointly by Sir Bryan Thwaites and the IMA.

🗓️ Deadline for entries: Midnight, 15th October 2026
📢 Finalists announced by: 1st December 2026

If you have original research you would like to share with the applied mathematics community, we encourage you to submit an entry.

Find out more and enter here:
www.ima.org.uk/29935/ima-lighthill-thwaites-prize-2027-call-for-papers

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