14/12/2023

Regional PIC Meeting brings together 500 students in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Alagoas.

This year's Regional Meeting of the PIC (Junior Scientific Initiation Program) in Rio de Janeiro brought together 150 young people for a lecture by mathematician Celso da Costa at Unirio. A PhD from IMPA, the researcher works in the field of differential geometry and became known for discovering a fourth minimal surface, internationally known as Costa's Surface. The discovery, described in his doctoral thesis, occurred in 1982.

The meeting brought together not only PIC students, but also basic education teachers, school principals, undergraduate students from the mathematics degree program at Unirio, and collaborating professors from the institution. Afterwards, the students participated in games, challenges, and puzzles. They also engaged in assembling Platonic solids using straws.

“This meeting provided a unique opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, and life lessons, promoting a comprehensive understanding of actions aimed at improving mathematics education. Above all, the relevance of the Mathematics Olympiads as a social commitment focused on transforming the individual and their environment stands out. By participating in the event, both basic and higher education students improve their mathematical skills, cultivate values such as dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. This transformation is not limited to the personal sphere, but encourages academic excellence and contributes to building a more engaged and capable community,” highlighted Adriana Pimenta, coordinator of the RJ01 PIC center.

UFOP and UFMG

In Minas Gerais, the PIC Regional Meeting brought together 61 students at UFOP (Federal University of Ouro Preto) for a program packed with lectures, roundtables, and workshops. At the event, held on October 21st, the group had the opportunity to learn about the university's structure and attend the lecture "Quotas for Whom?" which explained the possibility of students entering the university through the quota law.

The day was also marked by a series of mini-courses and activities such as "An Introduction to GeoGebra"; a lecture on "Sudoku" and Origami workshops; "Topics in Geometry"; "A Journey Through Trigonometry"; "Math Magic" and the "Smallest Alone" game, which led participants to bet on an integer and compete for a prize. A panel discussion on Hilbert's Hotel was also held. Students who participated in the 2022 Meeting shared their experiences.

“We consider the Regional Meeting an important and fundamental step in each PIC (Scientific Initiation Program). Besides being a moment of learning and expanding mathematical knowledge, it is also an opportunity for integration between students and teachers from different classes and cities in the region. Furthermore, the meeting is an opportunity to open the doors of the Federal University of Ouro Preto to teachers, students, and their guardians. For many, it is the first time they have visited a public university and seen a university campus. This visit broadens horizons, and we always make a point of showing PIC students that they can (and should) seek to fill the existing vacancies in Brazilian educational institutions,” highlighted Professor Wanderson Marques Pereira from the MG10 center.

The MG01 region of the PIC program brought together 185 students at UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais). The group participated in the lecture "Mathematics of Bees," which addressed the best tiling of the plane using convex polygons, whether regular or not. Another proposed activity was "Julia's Regression," which explained the development of a new formula for calculating exact square roots. The result was obtained from an insight by a Fridays-grade student, Julia Pimenta, during a math class. Another lecture offered was "Probabilities in Brazilian Football," which provided explanations on how probabilities are calculated in football.

UFAL had a math battle.

On November 18th, it was the turn of PIC students from five centers in Alagoas to gather at UFAL (Federal University of Alagoas) for a math battle. Divided into groups, the young people had to challenge a competing team to develop a solution to one of the problems on a list given to the students in advance. In total, six simultaneous battles were held, and the students competed for boxes of chocolate. For Krerley Oliveira, a professor at the Institute of Mathematics at UFAL, the regional PIC meetings are fundamental for the integration of the centers.

“In these meetings, they have the opportunity to get to know the university. We once had a student who arrived at UFAL and said, 'Wow, this is a city!' Many arrive here and are amazed. It's an experience that encourages students to seek something more. Furthermore, it's not only important for the student, but also for the community they are part of. One inspires the other to participate and to want to be here at this moment as well.”

The PIC Regional Meetings take place annually between October and December in various regions of the country. It is expected that around 4,000 students will participate in different activities promoted by the program coordinators.