17/08/2021

IMPA's lecture series will showcase the fascination of mathematics.

To bring young people closer to the fascinations of mathematics, IMPA launches, this Wednesday (18), the “Lecture Series with Scientist and Young Scientist Scholarship Holders from Our State”, which will be broadcast on the institute’s YouTube channel , always at 10 am . In the initiative, IMPA researchers who are FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Research Support Foundation) scholarship holders will present, in accessible language, mathematical topics related to the research they develop. Taught by Luiz Velho , lead researcher of Visgraf (IMPA’s Computer Graphics Laboratory), the first lecture will deal with the mathematics of 3D animations.

In the following edition, on September 1Thursdays, Augusto Teixeira will present the random fractals present in various figures of nature. In October, Emanuel Carneiro will show the interesting mathematical concepts in combinatorics and analysis behind the problem " There remains an infinity ". And, in November, Marcos Dajczer will introduce the concept of curvature of a surface, fundamental to the area of differential geometry.

Carneiro, who has taught elementary and high school, says he is excited about the experience. “This bridge between the mathematics researcher and the young person in school is wonderful. From the researcher's point of view, being able to speak to a broad audience and show a little of the beauty of mathematics brings a very positive energy. From the student's point of view, who is learning there at school, being able to see a little of what the 'future' holds for them can open their mind to some new ideas and opportunities,” he opined.

In his presentation, the IMPA researcher will talk about one of his favorite problems in the discipline. “I’ve taught this class in person a few times and it’s always been great. Many math problems are beautiful and interesting, but they can become even more surprising if presented and discussed in an engaging way. I wrote some material to accompany the video lesson and I hope everyone enjoys the result and replicates it in their classrooms,” he commented.

According to Teixeira, the lecture series will be a great opportunity for students to learn about other types of professions, about which there is not much information available. "This type of initiative has the potential to help in several ways: presenting professional areas that are often unknown to them, normalizing research as something more accessible to students, and sparking their curiosity," he said.

Set a reminder and don't miss the opportunity to discover the wonders of mathematics!