Why the human brain can do the maths

Why the human brain can do the maths

In some welcome news about our much lambasted education system, Britain has come top in its group at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Maths is not a longstanding skill in evolutionary terms, although we do have a rudimentary ability to recognise small numbers of items, which is probably shared with some animals. This skill, known as subitising, means we can ‘know’ simply by looking at a small group of dots how many there are. This involves a direct perception of quantity; anything above six becomes more difficult. Higher mathematical ability, however, is peculiarly human and relies on highly developed cortical machinery.

The great mathematicians go one step further, using other areas of the brain. In China, instead of the western reliance on complex algebra, the famous Pythagorean theorem employs a clever spatial arrangement of squares and triangles - showing the extraordinary results mathematicians achieve when they combine multiple modes of thinking.

Meanwhile, that British win is tempered by the fact we came top only in Europe - Asian maths still outperforms our own.

Dr Daniel Glaser is director of Science Gallery at King’s College London