Episode 15: Accountancy and cash management

This week the topic was mathematics and money, and how maths is used in finance. We interviewed Sarah O’Rourke, who’s an accountant working on the problem of moving cash around to where it’s needed in cash machines. We discussed the ways she uses mathematical modelling to predict where demand for cash will be high, and also the other types of work that accountants do, and the different ways to become an accountant.

Interesting links:

• Accounting on Wikipedia
• Double entry bookkeeping at Dummies.com
• What is Financial Mathematics? at Plus Magazine
• Maths games - percentages at IXL
• Tax Matters at HMRC
• Money Talks, interactive game at the NI Curriculum website

Puzzle:

1. Using only £20 and £50 notes, what’s the largest multiple of £10 you can’t make?
2. In an imaginary scenario where the only notes are £30 and £70, again what’s the largest multiple of £10 you can’t make?
3. Why do you think we use the denominations of currency that we do use?