Department of Mathematics

I graduated in Physics in Rome in 2007 working on a project on metabolic networks. For my PhD I wanted to research something similar and as exciting, so when my former supervisor recommended me to the Disordered Systems Group at King's I knew that was the best choice I could make. In fact there were very few places in Europe offering a comparable level of expertise and research quality.

Another great opportunity I enjoyed a lot at King's was giving tutorials to undergraduate students. This really helps you get used to teaching and enhances your knowledge transfer skills.

There are different funding opportunities in the Mathematics Department: my scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a good monthly stipend.

What I also love about London is the feeling of being in the midst of global current affairs - we are of course down the road from the Houses of Parliament where national and gloabl politics are discussed and decisions made. King’s definitely fits into this environment, and has an active student body with many societies and clubs ranging from charity fundraising to Model United Nations and volunteering.

I was given the opportunity to spend a term at a partner university in the US - an experience I wouldn’t want to miss. And being in London means that whatever you cannot find on campus will definitely be catered for outside.

When I first came to King’s the students and staff were very welcoming and helpful. I have used the Disability and Dyslexia Service at King’s, I was given guidance at every stage. I now receive the right provisions to meet my needs, to gain as much as possible from my degree. The service is extremely useful and the people are friendly to talk to.

Fresher’s Fair has been great each year, I always meet somebody new, and the Maths Society hosts a welcoming party, where I met a lot of people on my course before officially starting first year. The Mathematics Department also has an annual weekend trip to Cumberland Lodge, which is fun and would highly recommend going. The topics discussed, during this trip, are very different and insightful, it’s cheap and most importantly serves hot tasty meals.

There is a wide selection of mathematics modules at King’s that you are free to choose from, so you can select those that you will most enjoy. I have taken the option of doing a project in a topic of my choice, in my third year, with the help of a supervisor. I am able to conduct my own research for the project and do it in my own time; it gives me great pleasure when I’ve learnt something on my own which is why I love writing this project.

I am a course representative, which involves meeting with senior members of the Mathematics Department and discussing improvements and any issues raised by students. Students are given the opportunity to give feedback anonymously about each of their courses and lecturers. The students and Staff and at King’s maintain a good relationship. Each student is assigned to a personal tutor, which you can turn to for most things. Lecturers also open their doors to any student that may have questions, you can easily email them too.

After my undergraduate degree I am going to do a Masters in Mathematics followed by a PhD. 

I decided to choose Mathematics as my degree choice because I have always had a great interest in the subject, and loved the challenge of solving new and difficult problems. The definitive nature of this course in which there is only one right answer and one must construct a method to reach, is something I greatly appreciate. I also love the feeling of satisfaction when the decisive answer is reached.

Outside of my studies I take part in the first year undergraduates tutoring scheme; one of many aspects of the university that I greatly enjoy. I believe that this is a great idea and just goes to show how committed King's is in providing students with help and support.

In the future I would like to gain an internship within the Investment Banking Industry. My degree at King's will give me a sound foundation to do so because it allows me to perfect the skills which are essential for this career path.

I chose to come and study here at King’s primarily because of its national and international reputation, but on top of that its fantastic location. Aside from this, all who are fortunate enough to get an opportunity to study here will see that King’s caters to each and every one of its students, providing all the support, backing and facilities for any academic and non-academic needs, ensuring that their time at university is a success.

This year I was appointed to be a Mathematics Academic Representative which has given me the opportunity to be one of the voices of the department and allowed me to raise any issues of concern which there may be. Although a hugely difficult task due to the fact that the department is so flawless in all that it does, it is a great honour to hold such a position and it really does show just how committed the department is in making your experience here studying maths a truly unforgettable one.

On top of this I am also part of the Mathematics Society’s ‘Buddy Scheme’, whereby first year students are assigned buddies from older years to help with any problems they may have and to help make the transition between school and university a little easier. I really benefited from having an older student at hand to answer any questions I had during my first year and so am glad I have been able to give something back to the department in becoming a buddy.

Once I finally graduate I hope to pursue a career working within the financial sector in the City. Although a tough ask, I know that with the skills I have acquired from my time here at King’s, along with the fantastic help and assistance which is always available to me, this ambition of mine looks certain to come true.

I love languages, so I've also grabbed the chance to study extra-curricular French at King's. It's great to enjoy all the convenience of a superb on-campus Modern Language Centre, completely separate from my own main subject.

The Strand Campus is arguably the best situated of any in Britain. I love being able to pop into an art gallery or museum during a break, wander round stylish Covent Garden or simply appreciate the famous panoramic views from our own Waterfront bar.

Studying Mathematics at the Strand Campus is an amazing experience. Walking from the lecture theatre, passing the College's beautiful chapel and enjoying the amazing view over London at the Waterfront Bar, is an experience I am overwhelmed by again and again. King's central location in the heart of London, its many career fairs and my course form a great foundation for a career in Banking and Finance.

King's offers a huge variety of activities outside class. I am involved in the College's Ambassador Scheme and play on King's tennis team.

As an international student King's was especially appealing to me because the University offers much support for those coming from abroad. Whenever I have questions I can ask my personal tutor or advisers at The Compass for help. I also participated in King's 'International Welcome Event' prior to the academic start. I got to know many students from all over the world and experienced a fantastic start in London.

In providing a wide variety of student activities the university creates the chance to interact with a diverse range of students. The motivation and support from the lecturers and staff have spurred me on when I needed an extra push.

I particularly enjoy the core mathematical modules - the satisfaction of solving challenging problems is unparalleled. Simultaneously acquiring key business skills and commercial awareness through the management modules will help me pursue a career in Banking and Finance. The Career Service has provided me with valuable support along with access to career events and professional skills programmes that have added more value to my college years.

Besides academics, King’s has given me good opportunity to work for the community. I am part of a volunteer group helping to motivate disadvantaged secondary students and I was a part of the first year tutoring scheme which makes sure that the first year students have a smooth transition from college to university life. Overall I am glad to be at King’s and hope that I can use the skills and experience gained here in the future.

I graduated in Physics in Rome in 2007 working on a project on metabolic networks. For my PhD I wanted to research something similar and as exciting, so when my former supervisor recommended me to the Disordered Systems Group at King's I knew that was the best choice I could make. In fact there were very few places in Europe offering a comparable level of expertise and research quality.

Another great opportunity I enjoyed a lot at King's was giving tutorials to undergraduate students. This really helps you get used to teaching and enhances your knowledge transfer skills.

There are different funding opportunities in the Mathematics Department: my scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a good monthly stipend.

The Complex Systems Modelling MSc programme provided the perfect vessel to combine my previous pursuits, and the staff at King's provided a first-rate educational experience. The programme culminated with an individual research project which merged the concepts I had encountered in an attempt to tackle pertinent problems from the field. Studying at King's gave me the opportunity to explore new areas of research and pinpoint a subject I was passionate about. It also afforded the social benefits of a diverse student body.

King's is ideally situated in the middle of one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, with campuses providing easy access to all that London has to offer. I had the chance to meet people from around the world in the melting pot that is the graduate student housing. Due to my experience at King's, I have decided to continue my education by pursuing a doctoral degree in complex networks. Thanks for a great year King's!

After completing my undergraduate degree in Spain, I decided to continue my studies abroad, and King's College London seemed like the perfect choice. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to study in a culturally enriching and international city and, what's more, I was fortunate enough to receive a departmental bursary which definitely helped me to cover my living expenses.

King's is not only one of the world's leading universities; it is also one of the few to offer an MSc programme fully devoted to Complex Systems. From the beginning, the Mathematics Department felt like home, staff were always willing to help in both academic and administrative matters. I have had the opportunity to meet students from all over the world who had very different academic backgrounds, and that made my experience even more interesting.

One of the programmes highlight is that many of the modules cover state-of-the-art topics, taught by experts in the field from the Disordered Systems Group. Moreover, the summer project is a chance to get involved and develop actual research, and I think this will be a highly distinguishing feature on my CV.

The best thing about this programme is the great mathematics options. I was able to choose modules in analysis, my favourite area, which were interesting and fit together well. The classes are small, which means I really got to know classmates and lecturers; and the individual project was a chance to study current research, something I never got to do at undergraduate level.

The social benefits of studying in London are great. My favourite place to go is King's own Waterfront bar, which has impressive views over the Thames and legendary curly fries!

Studying this programme at King's has allowed me to successfully bridge the gap between undergraduate education and research in theoretical physics, and I am now pursuing a PhD in the Theoretical Physics group at King's.

Living and studying in the centre of London has given me the opportunity to enjoy the fine art, music, theatre and social life which defines the city; and from my experience playing in the King's College London Symphony Orchestra I recommend attending one of their concerts.

A key feature of the undergraduate experience at King's for Mathematics students is automatic membership to the King's College London Mathematics Society (KCL MathSoc). The KCL MathSoc is over 50 years old and has over 500 members who appreciate the beauty of mathematics and share a common passion for it. Over the years it has organised countless events and excursions including an annual trip to Cumberland Lodge, talks with financial and banking firms, and other social activities.

King's graduates are highly sought after both nationally and internationally in a wide range of professions. A degree in mathematics is one of the most flexible qualifications you can obtain, and as a result graduates are among the best paid and the least likely to be unemployed. Six months after graduating, 86% of 2009 Mathematics graduates were in full time employment. Recent King's graduates have found employment as tax consultants, financial analysts, traders, office managers, management consultants and secondary school teachers.

I joined the King's Disordered Systems group in January 2007, and I work on interdisciplinary applications of statistical mechanics to economics and biology, quantum integrability and other areas of interest. I obtained my first degree in Physics at the University of Barcelona and received my Ph.D in Theoretical Physics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, under the supervision of Desire Bolle. Hereafter I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Oxford and University of Rome.

The research activities of the King's Disordered Systems group concentrate on the analysis and development of mathematical theories and models with which to describe the statics and dynamics of disordered (or 'complex') systems in physics, biology, financial markets, and computer science. Such systems are characterised by microscopic (usually stochastic) dynamic elements with mutual interactions without global regularity; but with a significant degree of built-in competition and incompatibility, resulting in the existence of many locally stable states for the system as a whole, and a highly non-ergodic 'glassy' type of dynamics.

A postgraduate qualification in Mathematics is extremely desirable. King's graduates are highly sought after both nationally and internationally in research institutions and higher education, as well as in a wide range of professions.

The Financial Mathematics Research Group at King's was formed in 2000, and is currently staffed by seven members. I was the most cited author in the industry leading magazine 'Risk Magazine' for 2010, confirming that the group maintains a relevant impact on the industry. The group has been consulting for regulators such as the FSA, and our research in Credit Risk further highlights the group's leadership in the London financial community.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, the Applied Mathematics unit containing Financial Mathematics had 65% of its research judged as "internationally excellent" or "world leading", the highest figure recorded by any London college, and close to the UK national maximum of 75%.

The Financial Mathematics MSc programme is designed to enhance the students' knowledge and understanding of the subject, as well as to provide the required training for students who wish to study for a doctoral degree in the area.

I am a member of the King's Analysis group which is one of the most active and successful Analysis groups in the UK. Much of our research is related to operator theory and differential equations, and in particular to spectral theory and its applications. We collaborate with researchers in many countries including Canada, Chile, France, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, and US. Members of our group have co-organised several high profile international conferences. Together with colleagues from Imperial College, University College and Queen Mary College, we run the London Analysis Seminar. We also co-organise the Paris-London Analysis Seminar. In Pure Mathematics, our Department also has outstanding research groups in Geometry and in Number Theory. On the applied side, the research strength of the Department lies in the following three fields: Disordered Systems, Financial Mathematics, and Theoretical Physics.

King's graduates are highly sought after both nationally and internationally in research institutions and higher education as well as in a wide range of professions.

I joined the Theoretical Physics group at King's in 2010 and my research interest is in quantum field theory, in particular the integrable or conformal kind. I'm quite interested in looking at QFT as a powerful theory for emergent fluctuations (collective behaviours) in many-body systems. This point of view connects it to condensed matter and statistical systems, but also provides a fundamental understanding of renormalisation group and an alternative view on the fundamental particles of physics.

King's Theoretical Physics group is at the forefront of research in supersymmetry, string and M- theory, conformal field theory and related areas. It currently has nine permanent members together with postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. The group conducts research in fundamental issues of modern theoretical physics. Its achievements include significant discoveries in supersymmetry and string theory, amongst which are the non-renormalisation theorems for supersymmetric theories and the construction of supergravity theories in 10 dimensions. Our current research interests include supersymmetry, superstrings and branes, and exactly solvable quantum field theories.

King's graduates are highly sought after both nationally and internationally in research institutions and higher education as well as in a wide range of professions.