06/05/2025

IMPA Open Doors receives 158 visitors this Tuesday (6)

Five hundred and twenty-six kilometers separated elementary school mathematics teacher Victor Lima from his dream of visiting IMPA headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, until Tuesday morning (6), when his wish came true. The teacher left Holambra (SP) on Monday night (5) and faced a nine-hour bus trip to the capital of Rio to participate in the first edition of 2025 of “IMPA Open Doors”. Every year, the institute promotes visits by schools, teachers and other interested parties to its facilities for a program that includes theoretical and practical activities.

“I found the lectures very good, very interesting. The activities in the reading room were also very cool. We had the opportunity to see new possibilities for the classroom; there are several games that can be used. This encourages students to think and to work better with the subject. Mathematics is a very rich and broad area, as was discussed in today's lectures,” said Lima, who is also a student in the Professional Master's Program in Mathematics in the National Network (Profmat).

Professor Victor Lima

With 158 participants, IMPA Open Doors began on Tuesday morning (6) with the participation of the institute's director-general, Marcelo Viana, who welcomed the visitors. “Mathematics is something we also do to give back to society. Mathematics happens within us, but it also happens outside. Therefore, it is important to try to externalize this thing that happens within mathematicians. The ambition of IMPA Open Doors is somewhat this; to show you the institute, take the opportunity to walk around. We have activities in the reading room, feel free to listen to what will be said here. This is our effort to share what it is to be a mathematician, what it is to do mathematics, for what purpose, why, and the usefulness of what we do, the importance that mathematics has,” said Viana.

Marcelo Viana, diretor-geral do IMPA

In this edition, the program offered two lectures, in addition to interactive activities such as games, virtual math challenges, and multimedia panels for the enjoyment of visitors. The IMPA Girls' Olympics (MOI) project also participated in the event, running stands and mathematics workshops.

The lectures covered diverse topics such as artificial intelligence and technology, and the history and application of mathematics throughout history. They were led by Gilson Giraldi, from the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing – LNCC, and by IMPA researcher Roberto Imbuzeiro. Professor Eliane Cavalcante, from the CIEP 368 João Conceição Canuto school in Itaguaí (RJ), accompanied 16 high school students to the IMPA Open Doors event for the first time and took the opportunity to participate in the lectures.

“I found all the lectures very meaningful; they brought more dynamism to mathematics. It was an opportunity for students to understand that mathematics is broad. There are applications, and we can be directed towards various professions. I really enjoyed it; IMPA deserves congratulations,” she said.

Mathematics and physics teacher Rogério Tostes, from the Yonne Maria Siqueira State School, also brought his high school class to IMPA for the first time. Tostes, who was already familiar with the institute, saw the event as an opportunity to broaden students' understanding of mathematics. “Classes and the curriculum are often focused on methods and not so much on application. So, allowing students to experience the applications of mathematics fosters a better understanding of the subject. It's important to show the direct application of mathematics in AI, engineering, games, and geometry. Mathematics beyond just numbers,” explained the teacher.

Professor Rogério Tostes e estudantes do Colégio Yonne Siqueira

Laryssa de Lima, a student at Yonne Siqueira school in Nova Iguaçu, in the Baixada Fluminense region, said that the program was an opportunity to observe mathematics from new perspectives. “I already knew about IMPA's Open Doors program, but this is my first time participating. I really enjoyed the lectures and also the practical activities, like the games. I never loved math, but after this experience, I'm finding it more fun than before,” said Laryssa.

Laysa de Oliveira rated the visit as positive. “The experience was really cool, the two lectures sparked a greater interest, especially the lecture on Artificial Intelligence. Before, I didn't associate math much with AI. The activities used to work with math also caught my attention; they were very different.”

The IMPA Open House aims to bring society closer to the institute and foster interest in the field. In addition to lectures and the presence of the MOI (Museum of Modern Art), this year's edition also featured an origami workshop by the artist Boni, "Fun and Curious Mathematics" by Wanderley Moura, and "Mathematics is for Everyone" by Túlio Koneçny. Visitors could also view the 3D model exhibition by the Imaginary Group.