11/03/2022

International Mathematics Day is this Monday (14)

Foto: Divulgação/ IMU

A universal language, mathematics allows us to communicate and express ideas effectively and objectively, regardless of our language, country of origin, or culture. To celebrate International Mathematical Day (IDM) , celebrated on March 14th, the International Mathematical Union (IMU) will bring together teachers, researchers, and the general public in a virtual marathon. This year's theme is "Mathematics Unites".

All lectures will be streamed on the IDM website , free of charge and without registration. Activities will take place from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM (BRT) and will be divided into five sessions by language: Arabic, Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. The Portuguese session will feature lectures by Inês Guimarães, creator of the YouTube channel "MathGurl," and Humberto Bortolossi, professor at the Federal Fluminense University (UFF). Check the schedule .

The website also offers some suggestions for fun activities that teachers can promote in the classroom to mark the date. In the game " chaotic dance ," a large group of students must dance following some simple rules. The dynamics of the party resemble the deterministic systems studied by chaos theory, an important branch of mathematics.

IMPA's Director-General, Marcelo Viana, is participating in the Question and Answer Session organized by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in honor of the day. On Monday at 4 pm, Viana and other researchers will reflect on how to motivate students to study mathematics. The broadcast will be on UFSC's YouTube channel .

This is the third edition of the event, officially recognized by UNESCO in 2019. Led by the IMU, the project encourages schools, universities, and other institutions to celebrate the essential role that mathematics plays in the advancement of science and technology, improving the quality of life for society.