ONE of the most significant and mysterious numbers in the world is pi (π), known for almost 4,000 years. Welsh mathematician William Jones in 1706 first introduced the Greek letter pi as a symbol to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The symbol was later popularised in 1737 by Swiss mathematician and physicist Leonhard Euler. Since then, pi has been widely used in diverse fields by engineers, physicists, architects, designers, etc.

In 1988, March 14 was selected by physicist Larry Shaw as Pi Day because the numerical date 3.14 represents the first three digits of pi, and it also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday, which is March 14, 1879. The first Pi Day celebrations took place at a San Francisco-based science museum (Shaw’s place of work) in 2009. However, it became an official national holiday when the US House of Representatives passed a legislation.

Mathematicians, scientists and teachers hope the holiday will help to increase interest in mathematics and science worldwide. The most accurate calculation of pi before computers was done in 1945 by DF Ferguson. He calculated up to 620 digits of pi. In 2002, a super computer found 1.24 trillion digits by spending 400 hours.

The 40th General Conference of UNESCO on November 26, 2019 approved the proclamation of March 14 as International Day of Mathematics. The major goals of the IDM, with expected benefits for students, teachers and society in general, are to improve understanding among people and decision-makers of the importance of mathematics in education. Professor Adewale Solarin, a former president of the African Mathematical Union, said, ‘Mathematics makes our lives easier because there is mathematics in everything.’ Nelson Mandela once said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world’, and mathematics is an essential part of it.

The International Mathematical Union, an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organisation for promoting international cooperation in mathematics, decided the theme of International Day of Mathematics 2021, which is ‘Mathematics for a Better World.’

Every year a new theme will be announced to bring flavour to the celebration, spark creativity and bring to light the connections between mathematics and all sorts of disciplines.

Goals of IDM

INTERNATIONAL Day of Mathematics is an opportunity to explain and celebrate the essential role that mathematics and mathematics education play in breakthroughs in science and technology, improving the quality of life, empowering women and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 agenda of the United Nations. It enables improved understanding of mathematics as a tool for development (SDG 9) among the general public and decision-makers. It contributes to capacity building in mathematical and scientific education with a special focus on girls and children from developing countries (SDG 4). Celebrating the day also emphasises the importance of basic research in mathematical sciences as the seed to breakthroughs in technology and the management of society (SDG 8). It also highlights the role of mathematics in the organisation of modern society, which includes aspects of economics, finance, health, transport systems and telecommunications in the quest for human well-being (SDG 3).

International Day of Mathematics raises awareness about the role of mathematics in fighting disasters, epidemics and emerging diseases (SDG 11). It illuminates the role of mathematics in moving towards a circular economy of sustainability compatible with the preservation of biodiversity (SDG 14 and 15). It increases international networking and collaborations in raising public awareness about mathematics as well.

Mathematics is everywhere in the fields of science and technology. Medical imaging techniques such as the computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging, for example, build images of numerical data through mathematical algorithms; the decoding of the human genome is a triumph of mathematics, statistics and computer science; and it is mathematics that gave us the first photo of a black hole and the solar system. Cryptography, used for secure communications, relies on number theory and group theory. Mathematics is behind the software of our mobiles; artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming the world as we speak.

Mathematics is everywhere in the organisation of civilisation too. For instance, mathematics is used to optimise transport systems, communication networks and the management of different health, economic and social systems. It can help to design an electoral system that better represent the people’s will. It is helpful in games strategy.

Mathematics also helps to understand and contain the spread of epidemics because statistics and optimisation are used in effective planning. The risks of natural disasters can be understood better with the help of mathematics and it can help to prepare in advance as well. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, mathematics has provided states and organisations with models and tools to help to understand, monitor and control the spread of the virus. It warns us about climate change in a similar manner and helps to anticipate and mitigate its consequences.

While mathematics is central to the efficient organisation of societies for the benefit of all citizens, it is also essential to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and, therefore, it is used to model different global changes and their consequences on the planet, its resources and biodiversity.

Mathematics education empowers women to build a better future. It is useful in budgeting and it also makes pension systems sustainable. Precise weather forecasting comes from atmospheric models and powerful algorithms, which involves mathematics.

The Bangladesh Mathematical Society is going to celebrate the second International Day of Mathematics this year. It will, however, be celebrated virtually because of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. A large number of national and international participants will attend the programme.

The day will be inaugurated by Dr Helge Holden, professor of mathematical sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and secretary general of the International Mathematical Union. The deputy head of mission of France in Bangladesh Frank Grützmacher Técourt will attend as the chief guest along with Dr Michel Waldschmidt, professor emeritus at Sorbonne Université of France and the winner of the 2021 Bertrand Russell Prize, and others.

Dr Md Shahidul Islam is vice-president of the Bangladesh Mathematical Society. He is convener of the Second IDM celebration Committee 2021.