Mathematicians working at the computational forefront of algebra, geometry, and combinatorics gathered in Durham earlier this month for MEGA 2026 (Effective Methods in Algebraic Geometry), one of the world's leading conferences in computational algebraic geometry. The event, held from 6–10 July, marked the 19th edition of the prestigious biennial conference series and only the second time it has taken place in the UK.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences is delighted to celebrate the success of our postgraduate researchers, whose recent awards recognise the exceptional quality of research, academic achievement and scholarly contribution taking place across the Department.

About 50 researchers from the UK, Japan, Mexico, China, and across Europe visited Durham University from 13–17 July for the Durham Symposium on Metric Geometry, Analysis and Probability. The five-day symposium, hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences, brought together established and early-career researchers to share ideas, showcase recent advances, and identify new opportunities for future collaboration.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences was delighted to welcome Professor Don Zagier (Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, Bonn, and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste) for the 2025/26 Collingwood Lecture, held on 11 June 2026.

Members of the public, volunteers, and mathematicians came together at Whitley Bay on 6 and 7 June to create a remarkable large-scale artwork in the sand, inspired by one of the most exciting recent discoveries in geometry. The Beach Spectres event invited participants to help build an aperiodic tiling on the beach using large stampers shaped like the Spectre monotile.

Postgraduate researchers from across the Department of Mathematical Sciences came together on 12 May 2026 for this year’s PGR Research Day, an event celebrating the wide-ranging research being carried out by doctoral students in the department.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Mikhail (Misha) Menshikov, aged 78, on 1 May 2026 after a short illness.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences has been hosting a series of lively “Maths Circles” and competitive “Maths Battles” this year, bringing together secondary school pupils from across the region to explore mathematics in a collaborative and engaging way.

Experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavours before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born, according to new research led by our Department of Psychology.

We were delighted to host Professor Giuseppe Savaré on 6 May, an Italian mathematician internationally recognised for his contributions to mathematical analysis, variational methods, and optimal transport theory, as this year's speaker in the Distinguished Lecture Series.

A new booklet from the Young Minds, Big Maths project is helping early years educators rethink how children experience mathematics – placing creativity, exploration, and curiosity at its heart.

In the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, Durham’s broad subject area of Natural Sciences has entered the world top 100, while Mathematics has posted a notable improvement in its global position.