4 Myths About Mathematics Debunked
Thinking about a future in mathematics but are held back by common misconceptions? 
Award-winning Professor Alan Champneys from the University of Bristol tackles some of the biggest myths about mathematics — showing how the subject is far more exciting and creative than it seems.
Myth 1: Mathematics lacks any creativity
Cast your mind back to your school days: the endless repeating of times tables, memorising formulas and poring over study flashcards before a major exam. For many, this painted an uninspiring and rigid picture of mathematics. Perhaps the closest you came to creativity was cleverly punching numbers into a calculator to spell words. If mathematics is completely rules-based, how can it be used creatively to generate new ideas?
Though he never considered himself particularly creative, a 2013 creativity workshop transformed Professor Champneys’ perception of mathematics. He discovered that he could draw parallels between the processes involved in creating music, art or comedy, with the process of doing mathematics. Both involve:
- Simplification: boiling things down to their essence
- Juxtaposition: combining ideas in new ways
- Subversion: breaking the rules
Yes, mathematics has rigid rules, but he claims creativity using mathematics often requires us to break those rules in order to solve problems or explore new possibilities. He also likened the mathematician’s process to the art of Banksy; both involve playing with simple, easily understood ideas and giving them a twist, often pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable. And both often start as scribbles on walls.
In a recent award-winning lecture, Professor Champneys describes how he and colleagues essentially used this process to launch a new field of so-called non-smooth dynamics that enables us to describe how balls bounce, valves rattle and automatic switches can have catastrophic effects.
Myth 2: Mathematics has no relevance to the real world
In the modern world, more or less every product or service we rely on has, at its core, some mathematical model or algorithm.
Consider the search engines that recommend our social media content, or the mathematics that allows us to design buildings and bridges to endure earthquakes and extreme weather. The technology behind medical imaging, like MRI machines, depends on advanced mathematics to create accurate and life-saving scans. Even how we plan healthcare delivery, energy distribution and interventions to maintain a sustainable planet, increasingly rely on mathematical simulation and optimisation methods. In fact, a recent report by the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences estimates that mathematics directly contributes 20% or £495 billion to the UK economy.
Bristol’s Engineering Mathematics degrees are uniquely designed to combine cutting-edge techniques in mathematical modelling, data science and AI with practical problem-solving skills, equipping students to tackle real-world challenges in many fields like robotics, sustainable development, healthcare and financial services.
Myth 3: Mathematics is only for geniuses
Feeling stuck or making mistakes can leave us feeling inadequate or even foolish, but Professor Champneys argues that this is a natural and essential part of the mathematical process – even for the brightest minds. He encourages students and professionals to embrace this feeling rather than resent it, recalling a quote that resonates deeply with him: “If you’re not stuck, then you’ve already done the math.”
While being stuck is inevitable, Professor Champneys offers his three top tips for overcoming what can be seen as the mathematician’s equivalent of writer’s block:
“First, remember that even the so-called greatest minds in mathematics feel stupid, fail to understand, or make silly mistakes. This is usually where insight comes from; it is not from feeling clever, but from the realisation “of course, how could I have been so stupid!”
Second, remember that it is a myth that some piece of mathematics is ‘beyond your capabilities’. Everything can become simple when you see it the right way. Sometimes we just haven’t been taught well, or we have not yet been given the insight of how to connect a mathematical concept, equation or technique to the way we naturally view the world.
Finally, embrace the word `stop’. Stopping is not giving up completely, nor is it pausing for a short time to then go back to exactly what we were doing before. To stop is to take a step back, re-evaluate, find an inner peace, and then maybe try a completely different approach.”
“…a recent report by the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences estimates that mathematics directly contributes 20% or £495 billion to the UK economy.”
Myth 4: Mathematicians work alone
The image of the lone mathematician working in isolation is far from reality. Professor Champneys describes mathematics as a “team sport,” where working with others is essential to advancing ideas and building a vibrant mathematical community. By sharing ideas, brainstorming, collectively challenging assumptions, and working with others, we can achieve breakthroughs that are both innovative and robust.
This collaborative ethos is embedded in the Engineering Mathematics degrees, which feature a significant number of group-based projects. Students tackle real-world problems pitched by industry contacts from large corporates such as Rolls Royce and EDF, start-ups and social enterprises, and even from the NHS and other public sector bodies.
Professor Champneys himself exemplifies the power of collaboration through his work, having worked a diverse range of interdisciplinary projects; understanding pedestrian-induced instability of footbridges, instabilities of manufacturing supply chains, causes of high blood pressure, how cells develop a sense of back and front, and how to optimise flows of patients in acute healthcare.
Professor Alan Champneys has spent over 30 years advancing Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol and promoting applied mathematics worldwide. He has led significant research projects, championed outreach and knowledge exchange, and contributed to influential publications like ’50 Visions of Mathematics’. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious IMA David Youdan Medal for his outstanding contributions to applied mathematics.