11/11/2022

Gold at 65: 'It's very rewarding'

Coming from all corners of Brazil, almost 500 students took to the stage at the national ceremony of the 15th OBMEP, held in Salvador (BA), last Monday (7), to receive medals. Among them was the visual artist Felix Pedemonte, 65 years old. A student of EJA – Youth and Adult Education, Felix won the only gold medal for the city of Palhoça, in Santa Catarina, in the 15th edition of the Olympiad.

“There are 18 million participants and only 579 gold medalists. That's 0.003%, something like that. It's very gratifying!”, celebrated the student, who surprised those present with his perseverance and dedication to mathematics.

Born in Argentina, Felix arrived in Brazil during the Falklands War, a conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom, in 1982. Over the years, he became a Brazilian "at heart" and settled in the south of the country. "I came bringing some friends who could be called up to go to war, so we came almost fleeing the war. When the war ended, I returned to my country, but something was calling me back here!", he stated.

While his love for mathematics blossomed in adulthood, his relationship with art began in childhood. "Since I was nine years old, I've taken painting, drawing, and portraiture classes. Even today! My intention has always been to combine science with art, especially mathematics with sculpture or drawing," he explained.

Felix began studying mathematics independently, driven by an interest in geometry applied to works of art. In 2001, he started researching the Fibonacci sequence, also known as the "golden ratio" or "divine sequence," as it can be found in nature, such as in sunflower petals, seashells, and other examples.

“My wife and children always encouraged me to go back to school, so I decided to take the EJA (Youth and Adult Education program) and, one day, they told me about the OBMEP exam. I took the exam and won a gold medal. And today I'm here!”, the artist concluded proudly.

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