16/10/2020

At MNCT, a live marathon celebrates mathematics and IMPA

Celebrating a birthday is always a special moment, when one can look back at achievements made over time and make wishes for the future. In a celebratory mood for the date on which IMPA turns 68, the institute's director-general Marcelo Viana highlighted the institution's main historical achievements and presented plans for the coming years at the opening of the live broadcasts transmitted this Thursday (15) , as part of the National Science and Technology Month (MNCT) program . The initiative is from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and takes place throughout the month of October, with activities from more than 27 institutions linked to the ministry.

In addition to the scientific events organized annually by IMPA, Viana highlighted major initiatives organized by the institute aimed at promoting mathematics. “Such as the organization of the 2017-2018 Mathematics Biennium , with the International Mathematical Olympiad , and the following year, we hosted the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Rio . That year, we also had the joy of Brazil's inclusion among the 11 countries that make up Group 5 of the International Mathematical Union .” The Director-General of IMPA also highlighted the Mathematics Festival , held in 2017, and extended an invitation for the return of the national event in May of next year .

“As you could see, it’s extremely fun. I want to invite everyone who likes mathematics: come and take courses at IMPA. And if you don’t like it, that’s even more reason because we can make you start to like it,” he proposed.

If you still don't believe that mathematics is everywhere and that it can be fun, Fernando Lenarduzzi can easily convince you otherwise. The IMPA postdoctoral researcher immersed himself in the world of games to prove that strategy and mathematical thinking are closely related. “These are situations where you go beyond calculations. What I mean when you're going to have a mathematical thought process, even if you haven't realized it, is that you don't need to apply mathematics to solve a problem, make a decision, or know how to argue.”

Is it possible to color a map with four colors in such a way that neighboring countries do not have the same colors? “It’s a problem with a very simple statement, but difficult to prove,” said Professor Maria João Resende, from the Federal Fluminense University (UFF). In her lecture , she addressed the “Four Color Theorem,” a mathematical problem in the field of topology that remained unsolved for over 100 years. To solve the theorem, mathematicians used graph theory, which can also be applied to minimize the number of different frequencies of telephone antennas or the number of days until school exam periods, the professor explained.

Roberto Imbuzeiro, a researcher at IMPA, discussed the intimate and reciprocal relationship between mathematics and technology , using the fields of artificial intelligence and computing as examples. “The relationship is a two-way street. Mathematics is intrinsically linked to the development of new technologies, and technology is intrinsically linked to the type of mathematics we can do. Mathematics is also itself a technology, in the sense of a specific technical knowledge that allows us to do things better than in the past.”

To illustrate the close relationship between the two fields, Imbuzeiro presented an overview of computing, citing as a starting point calculating machines such as the "La Pascaline," the world's first mechanical calculator, designed by Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). He also highlighted the contributions of the English mathematician Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) to the area. "She made this profound observation that anything that has an algebraic representation is susceptible to being transformed into calculation, and therefore can be processed in a calculating machine. Which means that it is possible to reason with machines," the researcher explained.

In an interview with MCTI , Viana spoke about the extraordinary potential of mathematics in generating wealth for society. “If mathematics was the basis of science and technology in the 20th century, this is even more true today. It is impossible to imagine the development of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data mining without mathematics.” He also mentioned technical studies conducted in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Australia that show that professions with a high mathematical content generate between 15% and 16% of the GDP in those countries.

“In Brazil, this means that mathematics can generate R$1 trillion per year. It's like mining that we can do annually without affecting the environment,” pointed out the institute's director-general. And the country already has a collaborator in this mission. “An institution like IMPA, with its history and proven competence, can contribute fundamentally to boosting the development of mathematics in the country, including at the teaching level.”

The dialogue between academia and industry, fundamental for generating this type of contribution to the country, was the subject of a debate with researchers from IMPA. Paulo Orenstein and Roberto Imbuzeiro spoke about their experiences as scientists in the industrial sector . “Interaction with industry is fundamental not only for finding inspiration, but also for applying our ideas. Working on a problem that truly affects people has always been very important to me,” said Orenstein, who worked in climate forecasting at Google Research .

Recent initiatives by the institute seek to bring the two areas closer together. "In February, we held the 1st Mathematics and Industry Workshop at IMPA , which aimed to bring academic institutions closer to companies and serve as a showcase of what mathematics can put at the service of economic activity," Viana recalled.

Orenstein and Imbuzeiro also commented on their recent collaboration with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) , helping them ensure sanitary safety in the 2020 elections. “We evaluated the solutions proposed by the TSE to reduce the risk of Covid-19 contagion in the lines: increasing voting time and setting aside a preferential time for the elderly,” explained Imbuzeiro. “It’s a complex problem, with many variables because each polling station has its own characteristics. Mathematics and statistics give us tools that allow us to offer an opinion that isn’t just a guess.”

There's still time to celebrate IMPA's 68th anniversary and discover interesting topics in mathematics! The institute's lectures during National Science and Technology Month are available on the MCTI YouTube channel .