I was interested to read your article in response to Andy Haldane's comments. Mr Haldane's support for the mathematical sciences and his desire to make the subject accessible to all made me very happy. I don't find his proposal to change the language appealing. Just as literacy is needed to enjoy the richness and benefits of literature, so too is numeracy needed to enjoy the many wonders that mathematics provides.
We should not shy away from making the case for why the subject of mathematics is interesting, challenging and relevant.
I propose that the way to increase interest in the mathematical sciences and perpetuate the UK's place as a maths superpower is not to tinker with what we call the subject but to invest in it properly to ensure that people of all ages have access to opportunities to receive the best possible. Prof Ulrike Tillmann is the President of the London Mathematical Society.
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