Tony Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Tony Gardiner is a British
mathematician
and holds the position of Reader in Mathematics and Mathematics Education at the University of Birmingham
. He was responsible for the foundation of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
in 1996, one of the UK's largest mathematics enrichment programs, initiating the Intermediate and Junior Mathematical Challenges, creating the Problem Solving Journal for secondary school students and organising numerous masterclasses, summer schools and educational conferences. Gardiner has contributed to many educational articles and internationally circulated educational pamphlets. As well as his involvement with mathematics education, Gardiner has also made contributions to the areas of infinite groups, finite group
s, graph theory
, and algebraic combinatorics
.
In the year 1994–1995, he received the Paul Erdős Award
for his contributions to UK and international mathematical challenges and olympiads.
from 1975 until its adoption by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) in 1996 and has in recent years been known as the Senior Mathematical Challenge. In early years, problems for this were taken from the American Annual High School Mathematics Examination
, with papers subsequently formed from those used in other countries until 1988, when the first entirely local paper was produced. In 1987, Gardiner founded the Junior and Intermediate Mathematical Challenges under the name of the United Kingdom Mathematics Foundation, to expand the national mathematics competitions to a wider age range of students. Gardiner worked hard to publicise all of the national mathematics competitions from 1987 to 1995 and UKMT yearbooks state that their enormous increase in popularity was "without doubt due to the drive, energy and leadership of Tony Gardiner". The Junior and Intermediate Challenges continued to be run by Gardiner personally until the foundation of the UKMT, with numbers of entrants reaching 105,000 and 115,000 respectively in the year 1994–1995. Between 1988 and 1997, participation in the Senior Mathematical Challenge increased from around 8,000 entries from 340 schools to 40,000 from nearly 900 schools.
Gardiner also played an important role in establishing the first Primary Mathematics Challenge (PMC) in 1998. Run by the Mathematical Association
, in 2010 it received more than 84,000 participants in 2,361 schools.
was founded in 1996 to support the large pyramid of national mathematics competitions that had become well established in the UK. In 1995, Gardiner realised that, due to the enormous popularity increase that had taken place, the national mathematics competitions had become too large an enterprise to be sustained in their current form. Consequently, he advertised for the formation of a committee and a host institution to establish an organisation (the UKMT) that would be able to collectively run the competitions. This received a response from the Royal Institution
and Alan Slomson of the University of Leeds
, resulting in the formation of a committee of five: Gardiner, Peter M. Neumann
, Alan Slomson, Roger Bray, and Peter Thomas. The establishment of the desired organisation followed.
Gardiner has continued to contribute to the activities run by the UKMT, acting as leader of the IMO
team in the years 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1995. He was also responsible for establishing the national mathematics summer schools.
The Problem Solving Journal continues to be run independently by Gardiner, with the number of participants now in excess of 5,500.
An earlier version of this was produced by Gardiner between 1980 and 1995. The Birmingham University Mid-term Mathematical Puzzles were a take-home competition for 11–15 year olds and 16–18 year olds, reaching figures of 3,500 and 1,200 participants respectively.
, the TDA and the Nuffield Foundation
, and was held at Robinson College, Cambridge
. Speakers included Simon Singh
, Robin Wilson (mathematician)
, Colin Wright, and Rob Eastaway
.
Gardiner has also contributed to School Mathematics Project
writing groups since 1978.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and holds the position of Reader in Mathematics and Mathematics Education at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
. He was responsible for the foundation of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
The United Kingdom Mathematics Trust was founded in 1996 to help with the education of children in mathematics within the UK.-History:...
in 1996, one of the UK's largest mathematics enrichment programs, initiating the Intermediate and Junior Mathematical Challenges, creating the Problem Solving Journal for secondary school students and organising numerous masterclasses, summer schools and educational conferences. Gardiner has contributed to many educational articles and internationally circulated educational pamphlets. As well as his involvement with mathematics education, Gardiner has also made contributions to the areas of infinite groups, finite group
Finite group
In mathematics and abstract algebra, a finite group is a group whose underlying set G has finitely many elements. During the twentieth century, mathematicians investigated certain aspects of the theory of finite groups in great depth, especially the local theory of finite groups, and the theory of...
s, graph theory
Graph theory
In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects from a certain collection. A "graph" in this context refers to a collection of vertices or 'nodes' and a collection of edges that connect pairs of...
, and algebraic combinatorics
Algebraic combinatorics
Algebraic combinatorics is an area of mathematics that employs methods of abstract algebra, notably group theory and representation theory, in various combinatorial contexts and, conversely, applies combinatorial techniques to problems in algebra....
.
In the year 1994–1995, he received the Paul Erdős Award
Paul Erdős Award
The Paul Erdős Award, named after Paul Erdős, is given by theWorld Federation of National Mathematics Competitions for those who "have played a significant role in the development of mathematical challenges at the national or international level and which have been a stimulus for the enrichment of...
for his contributions to UK and international mathematical challenges and olympiads.
UK national mathematics competitions
The first national mathematics competition was the National Mathematics Contest, established in 1961 by F. R. Watson. This was run by the Mathematical AssociationMathematical Association
The Mathematical Association is a professional society concerned with mathematics education in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1871 as the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching and renamed to the Mathematical Association in 1897. It was the first teachers' subject organisation...
from 1975 until its adoption by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) in 1996 and has in recent years been known as the Senior Mathematical Challenge. In early years, problems for this were taken from the American Annual High School Mathematics Examination
American Mathematics Competitions
The American Mathematics Competitions are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad . This team, consisting of six high school students, competes in the IMO and has traditionally performed well...
, with papers subsequently formed from those used in other countries until 1988, when the first entirely local paper was produced. In 1987, Gardiner founded the Junior and Intermediate Mathematical Challenges under the name of the United Kingdom Mathematics Foundation, to expand the national mathematics competitions to a wider age range of students. Gardiner worked hard to publicise all of the national mathematics competitions from 1987 to 1995 and UKMT yearbooks state that their enormous increase in popularity was "without doubt due to the drive, energy and leadership of Tony Gardiner". The Junior and Intermediate Challenges continued to be run by Gardiner personally until the foundation of the UKMT, with numbers of entrants reaching 105,000 and 115,000 respectively in the year 1994–1995. Between 1988 and 1997, participation in the Senior Mathematical Challenge increased from around 8,000 entries from 340 schools to 40,000 from nearly 900 schools.
Gardiner also played an important role in establishing the first Primary Mathematics Challenge (PMC) in 1998. Run by the Mathematical Association
Mathematical Association
The Mathematical Association is a professional society concerned with mathematics education in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1871 as the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching and renamed to the Mathematical Association in 1897. It was the first teachers' subject organisation...
, in 2010 it received more than 84,000 participants in 2,361 schools.
United Kingdom Mathematics Trust
The United Kingdom Mathematics TrustUnited Kingdom Mathematics Trust
The United Kingdom Mathematics Trust was founded in 1996 to help with the education of children in mathematics within the UK.-History:...
was founded in 1996 to support the large pyramid of national mathematics competitions that had become well established in the UK. In 1995, Gardiner realised that, due to the enormous popularity increase that had taken place, the national mathematics competitions had become too large an enterprise to be sustained in their current form. Consequently, he advertised for the formation of a committee and a host institution to establish an organisation (the UKMT) that would be able to collectively run the competitions. This received a response from the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
and Alan Slomson of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, resulting in the formation of a committee of five: Gardiner, Peter M. Neumann
Peter M. Neumann
Peter Michael Neumann OBE is a British mathematician. He is the son of the mathematicians Bernhard Neumann and Hanna Neumann and, after gaining a B.A. from The Queen's College, Oxford in 1963, obtained his D.Phil from Oxford University in 1966...
, Alan Slomson, Roger Bray, and Peter Thomas. The establishment of the desired organisation followed.
Gardiner has continued to contribute to the activities run by the UKMT, acting as leader of the IMO
International Mathematical Olympiad
The International Mathematical Olympiad is an annual six-problem, 42-point mathematical olympiad for pre-collegiate students and is the oldest of the International Science Olympiads. The first IMO was held in Romania in 1959. It has since been held annually, except in 1980...
team in the years 1991, 1992, 1994, and 1995. He was also responsible for establishing the national mathematics summer schools.
Secondary school problems booklets
In 2003, Gardiner created the Problem Solving Journal, a termly problems booklet for secondary school students, aimed at providing stimulating problems, to stretch students and encourage them to develop formal logical arguments and proofs. Each issue contains "easy" and "hard" type problems, separated into three different age ranges, plus solutions to the previous issue and an interlude, which is a short exact from a mathematical text. Students are encouraged to send their solutions to Gardiner, whence he will comment on them and publish those of particular interest as model solutions in the next issue, as well as printing the names of those students who answered the majority of the questions.The Problem Solving Journal continues to be run independently by Gardiner, with the number of participants now in excess of 5,500.
An earlier version of this was produced by Gardiner between 1980 and 1995. The Birmingham University Mid-term Mathematical Puzzles were a take-home competition for 11–15 year olds and 16–18 year olds, reaching figures of 3,500 and 1,200 participants respectively.
National Mathematics Teachers' Summer School
Established by Gardiner under the name of the United Kingdom Mathematics Foundation, the National Mathematics Teachers' Summer School ran for three years, from 2007 to 2009. These were intensive six day events for 60–90 teachers, with the first aimed at more experienced teachers with the intention that they would pass the skills to others at their schools, and later courses aimed at newer teachers at the beginning of their careers. The first summer school was sponsored by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics with additional sponsorship from Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, the TDA and the Nuffield Foundation
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
, and was held at Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College, Cambridge
Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.Robinson is the newest of the Cambridge colleges, and is unique in being the only one to have been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of either sex.- History :The college was founded...
. Speakers included Simon Singh
Simon Singh
Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
, Robin Wilson (mathematician)
Robin Wilson (mathematician)
Robin James Wilson is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Open University, a Stipendiary Lecturer at Pembroke College, Oxford and, , Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, London, where he has also been a visiting professor...
, Colin Wright, and Rob Eastaway
Rob Eastaway
Robert Eastaway is an author who is active in the popularisation of mathematics. He is a former pupil of The King's School, Chester, England and has a degree in Engineering and Management Science from the University of Cambridge. He was President of the UK Mathematical Association for 2007/2008...
.
Publications
Gardiner has authored or coauthored 15 books on mathematics education:Gardiner has also contributed to School Mathematics Project
School Mathematics Project
The School Mathematics Project is a developer of mathematics textbooks for secondary schools, based in Southampton in the UK.Now generally known as SMP, it began as a research project inspired by a 1961 conference chaired by Bryan Thwaites at the University of Southampton, which itself was...
writing groups since 1978.