Photo caption: Professor Christoph Bartneck swimming 10km in Lake Wānaka around Ruby Island.
Professor Bartneck’s latest project and book, developed at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC), combine mathematics, programming and swimming to create smarter, more engaging training programs for both athletes and everyday swimmers.
Together with a dedicated team of UC academics and students, Professor Bartneck has developed Swimming Markup Language (swiML), a new communication standard for swimming training programs.
Unlike many existing tools that only track exercise, swiML defines swimming programmes. Coaches and swimmers often use different terms and symbols for drills, which can lead to confusion. SwiML solves this by providing a standardised language for training sessions, while still allowing flexibility for local customisation.
The system can also convert XML files into clear, well-formatted instructions, ready to display on devices or to be printed for poolside use, which makes it easy to share training programs seamlessly across apps, web services and fitness trackers.
A book that blends maths and movement
Professor Bartneck has brought these ideas to life in a new book, Swim Training Patterns: Plan your Training Sessions with the Power of Mathematics (Routledge, 2025). The book introduces more than 35 unique swim programs inspired by mathematical ideas, from Fibonacci sequences to Einstein’s theories, and includes over 180 illustrations to explain ideas and patterns visually.
“You don’t need prior knowledge of maths or programming to use this book,” Professor Bartneck says. “All you need is curiosity and the desire to swim interesting sets. Patterns are essential in swimming, and mathematics gives us a whole new lens to create them.”
Reviewers from around the world have praised the book as “one of a kind,” “eclectic,” and “accessible for anybody.”
Book launch event
The UC community and public are invited to celebrate the release of Swim Training Patterns: Plan your Training Sessions with the Power of Mathematics at a launch event next month:
Date: Wednesday, 5 November 2025
Time: 5:30 pm
Venue: University Book Shop, University of Canterbury
Guests can enjoy drinks and finger food, hear insights from Professor Bartneck, and purchase signed copies of the book.
Learn more about the book here
