You probably know about the father of modern computing, Alan Turing, and how he cracked the Enigma machine in World War II, helping Britain to victory. However, you may not be aware that his mathematics spread into a theory of biology, describing how the patterns we see in nature arise.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have set up a challenge for the next generation of codebreakers. Through a series of calculations and cracking codes, school children will learn how maths can be applied to biology with Turing’s theory, unlocking the pattern of a pufferfish.
Turing’s theory shows how patterns we see in nature, like the stripes of a zebra or the development of fingers, are explained with mathematical equations. In his 1952 paper, ‘The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis’, he imagined two substances that are uniformly distributed. The substances react and produce stable Turing Patterns out of random chaos. This can all be explained by mathematical equations.
Dr Natasha Ellison, the project lead at the University of Sheffield, explained why it is important to teach students about these applications of maths: “I noticed as a teacher that lots of children develop anxiety around maths in primary school and aren’t aware of what maths can lead them to, or of any real life applications of maths.
“Although Alan Turing is well known as a codebreaker, his mathematical theories of biology are a great example to show children how maths can explain the natural world around us.”
Voted as the nation’s icon of the 20th century by the BBC in 2019, it is fitting that students learn about Turing’s life, history and LGBT+ rights alongside the fun coding challenges.
The project is created in collaboration with the Bank of England, who will be entering new £50 notes into circulation this year with Alan Turing on them.
Turing’s nephew, Sir Dermot Turing, said: “I’m certain that Alan Turing would have been delighted to see his work on patterns in living things being used to inspire young students with the potential of mathematics. It’s marvellous that this part of Alan Turing’s work is becoming better known. The University of Sheffield project is a great initiative and a fitting addition to Alan Turing’s legacy for the 21st century.”
