09/09/2022

200 years of independence, mathematics and history

Pesquisador do IMPA Roberto Imbuzeiro e ex-diretor do instituto Lindolpho Dias

The construction of a nation is not just about a shout on the banks of the Ipiranga. Its development is also linked to culture, art, health and science. To celebrate 200 years of independence and 100 years since the Modern Art Week, IMPA launches this Friday (9) “Independences won through mathematics”, a series of three episodes to discuss topics related to mathematics and the institute, which turns 70 in October.

Demonstrating that mathematics and communication go hand in hand, the interviews were conducted by IMPA researcher Roberto Imbuzeiro. The first meeting focused on "The history of IMPA and mathematics in Brazil." The guest was Lindolpho Carvalho Dias, director of IMPA on three occasions – from 1965 to 1969; from 1971 to 1979; and from 1980 to 1989.

“The series has independence in its name, but it is, in fact, about interdependencies. The video with Professor Lindolpho shows how the trajectories of IMPA and national mathematics intertwine with the history of Brazil,” says Imbuzeiro. The video of the first episode is already on IMPA's YouTube channel. Click here to access it .

In the series premiere, Carvalho Dias recounted how Brazil achieved prominence in international mathematics – and the fundamental role of IMPA in this trajectory. An engineer by training, he also recalled the locations where the institute operated until the inauguration of its current headquarters in Jardim Botânico, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, in 1981.

“We came to the conclusion that, in order to have stability, we needed to have our own headquarters,” said the former director of IMPA during the interview. The conversation also touched on the expansion of the institute – from research activities to postgraduate studies and the creation of OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools).

According to Carvalho Dias, the secret to ensuring the institute never lost its essence is a "healthy intransigence for quality."

In the second meeting, the discussion focused on how mathematics can contribute to the development of new technologies in the field of medicine. The interviewees are Heron Werner, head of fetal medicine at the Dasa laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, and Paulo Orenstein, researcher at IMPA and member of the Pi Center (IMPA's Center for Projects and Innovation). "How mathematics can help advance medicine" will air on September 1Thursdays.

The third episode was a delightful conversation with João Cândido Portinari, mathematician and founder of the Portinari Project. Son of Cândido Portinari, one of the most important and expressive Brazilian painters, he played a fundamental role in preserving his father's memory. The program "Mathematics and Art" is scheduled to be released on September 2Mondays.

“The seminar on medicine discusses the connection between mathematics and other sciences. Finally, the third video is about mathematics and art, both important parts of our cultural heritage,” says Imbuzeiro.