Stand-Up Mathematician's routine multiplies the laughter

Weston College took a novel approach to number crunching this week when it invited 'stand-up mathematician' Matt Parker to entertain college and school students.

Australian-born Matt, who has become well-known for his YouTube videos and appearances on radio, came to the College's University Campus to speak to A Level Maths students, as well as pupils from Broadoak Maths and Computing College and Hans Price Academy, both in Weston.

As well as showing the funny side of maths in everyday use – for example, demonstrating how numbers work in a typical episode of the Simpsons – Matt is passionate about getting young people to engage with maths as a subject and his talks are as educative as they are funny.

Around 90 A Level students listened as Matt, a qualified teacher who works in London, spoke on various subjects, including how maths is used to encrypt data on Facebook and four-dimensional shapes. More than 60 students from Broadoak and Hans Price attended a session tailored for their age group on Monday morning.

Ryan Aves, lecturer in Maths at Weston College, organised the event. He said: "Matt is very popular on the comedy circuit so it was great to have him along and show off his skills. His material is funny and thought-provoking, and he was a big hit with the students."