Off the deep end – Maths wizard, Professor Reinhard Siegmund-Schultze, runs his rule over Highbury pool

Published: 29 January 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

A NORWEGIAN mathematician has scored a victory through the Tribune after highlighting ­inaccurate depth ­measurements at ­Highbury Pool.
Professor Reinhard Siegmund-Schultze, who lives in Kristiansand in Norway but visits Islington regularly,  told this paper of his disappointment that a sign at Highbury Pool warned that the deep end is two metres or 6ft 5in. In fact, two metres equals six feet and six and seven-tenths inches.
But after the Tribune intervened, the pool’s manager promised to replace the sign as soon as possible. Prof Siegmund-Schultze said: “The conversion is wrong. Being 6ft 5in tall myself, I am all too painfully aware I’m almost two inches too short to reach the desired two metres. As a maths educator from Norway I’m concerned about the possible educational side-effects of swimming at Highbury Pool. I talked about it with the pool manager, who was very polite but apparently did not take me seriously.
“We have the chance to match maths with practical examples and here they’ve done it wrong. I would like them to fix this sign.”
Highbury Pool general manager Craig McIntyre said: “Well spotted. The sign has been up since 1984 and this is the first time it’s been brought to our attention. It will be replaced shortly.”