Introduction: Why maths keeps showing up on the big screen
Colm O’Regan reminds us that maths isn’t just a dry subject clipped to worksheets and summer exams. It’s a story engine. In films, numbers can drive suspense, reveal character, and reveal the human drama behind the abstract symbols we see in classrooms. This article looks at how mathematics has been portrayed on screen, what works, what hos to conventions, and which true stories deserve wider attention during Maths Week and beyond.
Iconic tropes: the blackboard, the obsession, and the late-night grind
Movie maths often leans on familiar cues: a chalk-streaked blackboard, a protagonist obsessively scribbling formulas, a race against time before an examination or a breakthrough. Greek symbols signal complexity; a dramatic reveal can hinge on a hidden page in a dusty book. A “hot” mentor or ally sometimes appears to understand the code the hero cannot crack, while the jocks stand in for practical, non-math-heavy perspectives. These are plot devices as much as they are nods to the discipline itself.
Pi and the fever dream of numbers
The 1998 film Pi (Pi) by Darren Aronofsky is often cited as the archetype of a math-obsessed protagonist spiralling into a fever dream of numbers and paranoia. A quest for a 216-digit number becomes a symbol for the search for order in chaos and the pressures of financial markets and mysticism alike. It’s not merely about calculation; it’s about the price of chasing certainty in an uncertain world.
Hidden Figures: a landmark for real-world mathematics on screen
Hidden Figures tells the true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—three African-American mathematicians whose work was pivotal to sending humans into space. The film is celebrated for both its historical accuracy and its human drama. The blackboard scenes—where precision and persistence matter—are among the strongest in cinema because they ground the stakes in real, consequential work. Katherine Johnson’s climb to prominence, including a moment where she literally needs a ladder on set, is a visual reminder that math is something people do, not just something spoken about in classrooms.
Historically dramatic mathematicians: Galois and Germain
Colm’s musings turn to Évariste Galois, a 19th-century French mathematician whose life story has become cinematic shorthand for “main character energy.” Galois’s work on polynomials and group theory was groundbreaking, but his life, culminating in a duel the night before a crucial letter, has a mythic rhythm that cinema loves. Sophie Germain, another towering figure who fought gender barriers to contribute to mathematics, reveals the human cost and ingenuity behind major breakthroughs. These stories demonstrate that the drama of maths isn’t only about numbers; it’s about perseverance, identity, and the courage to pursue truth against odds.
What cinema gets right—and what it sometimes misleads
There’s a tension in movies about maths: the thrill of discovery juxtaposed with the stereotype that mathematicians are a little mad or sleep-deprived. In many films, the late-night grind and flash of Greek symbols become shorthand for genius. But the best biopics and drama around mathematics remind viewers that maths is a collaborative, cumulative human enterprise—built on careful reasoning, collaboration, and long periods of trial and error. The fascination isn’t merely with elegant formulas; it’s with the people behind them, their stories, and their quests for understanding.
Why these stories matter for students today
Maths Week is a timely reminder that maths can be a lens on creativity, problem-solving, and resilience. While exams and past papers are essential, there is value in storytelling that connects abstract ideas to human experience. Colm’s reflections invite educators to blend narrative into lessons—showing how a famous problem or a dramatic life story can illuminate the beauty and relevance of mathematics. After all, a good math movie can spark curiosity, not just memorization.
Conclusion: more stories to tell beyond BOMDAS
There are countless maths stories waiting to be told—beyond the well-worn tropes and into the real lives that shaped the subject. While BOMDAS (the problem-solving acronym) remains a useful tool in classrooms, the human dimension of mathematics—its pioneers, its risks, its breakthroughs—offers rich ground for both education and cinema. The next time you hear a chalk squeak in a classroom, remember: the math behind the moment is often more cinematic than any script.
