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The world celebrated the International Day of Mathematics

Wednesday, 16 March 2022

On 14 March 2022, the world celebrated the International Day of Mathematics (IDM). The day is already celebrated in many countries as Pi Day because people write the date as 3/14, and the mathematical constant Pi is approximately 3.14. The International Mathematical Union (IMU) leads the International Day of Mathematics. Numerous international and regional organisations worldwide support the initiative.

Every year, the IMU announces a new theme to flavour the celebration, spark creativity and bring light to connections between mathematics and all sorts of fields, concepts, and ideas. The theme for the IDM 2022 is Mathematics Unites. Yuliya Nesterova, a graduate student from the University of Ottawa in Canada, proposed the theme. She explains: "Mathematics unites, to signal that it is a common language we all have and a common subject with which to find one another."

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) hosted the first rounds of its prestigious mathematics competitions from 7-18 March to celebrate Pi Day. The Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) is the biggest Olympiad in the country. In 2017, more than 100,000 grade 8 to 12 learners countrywide participated in the first round. The NESTLE NESPRAY South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) is for grade 4 to 7 learners. Annually, more than 80,000 primary school learners participate in the first round.

This year, SAMF also partnered with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and will be hosting an online event to celebrate Pi Day on Saturday, 19 March 2022, from 9 am to 11 am. Dr Cerene Rathilal, a lecturer at UJ's Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, is excited about the upcoming event. "This event is an initiative of the university. We have partnered with the UJ Soweto Campus Science Centre and several other stakeholders for the event. Our aim on the day is to promote mathematics and inspire young minds. We invite all high school learners and undergraduate students to join us on Zoom for a programme that includes fun talks by mathematicians and interactive activities."

The programme will include the launch of the Meet a Mathematician series, where Dr Rathilal will interview the president of the South African Mathematical Society (SAMS), Prof. Zurab Janelidze, live. Meet a Mathematician and Math Tales will be available on the NITheCS YouTube channel at the end of March in celebration of the International Day of Mathematics.

To register for this IDM Zoom event, go to https://bit.ly/3s6TrQH

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