The Magic of Maths: Wimbledon Edition
As the world geared up for the Wimbledon final last weekend, Professor Rachel Norman reminded the UK about what makes tennis so much fun to watch: maths!
Professor Norman was interviewed on BBC Radio London and BBC Radio Scotland and published an article in The Express about the mathematics involved in tennis.
There’s the angles of serves and drop shots to calculate where to place the ball on the court; the kinetic energy of “throwing mass in the air and exerting force” for a serve; and the friction of the ball hitting the court – but there’s also the calculation of Wimbledon’s seeding positions; the Hawkeye system which tracks the ball’s movement with ten different cameras; and analysis of opponents’ serves and unforced errors.
Professor Norman also discussed her support for the Protect Pure Maths campaign, telling BBC Radio London that “maths can be used anywhere and everywhere” and reiterating its importance.
Read the article in The Express below. Listen to Professor Norman’s interview on BBC Radio London here. The interview begins at 46:30.
