AfterMaths: Six of the Toughest Maths Concepts - Our Definitive Countdown

In this week’s AfterMaths episode, Jon and Becky reunite (voice fully restored!) and unpack a packed agenda: a bit of history, a lot of maths, and some classic year-group trauma. Jon kicks things off with a brilliant history of maths segment — the surprisingly dramatic story of the equals sign, invented in 1557 by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, whose parallel-line insight eventually won out over some frankly bizarre early alternatives. Then it’s time for this week’s feature: the top three trickiest things to teach in primary maths. Jon and Becky each bring their own lists, comparing everything from comparing fractions to converting imperial units, angles to long division, with plenty of shared pain and professional empathy along the way. (Spoiler: teaching time on an analogue clock gets a lot of airtime — and for good reason.) They also dive into the key takeaways from Phil Hurd’s episode on problem solving, exploring the role of struggle, what real problem solving looks like, and why resilience can’t be taught without experiencing difficulty. Finally, Becky brings a Maths of Life segment all about memory: why we remember some numbers forever (childhood phone numbers!) and instantly forget others — with a detour into blindfolded speed-cubing. Naturally.