“Mathematics directs the flow of the universe, lurks behind its shapes and curves and holds the reins of everything from tiny atoms, to the biggest stars.”  – Edward Frenkel

Mathematics is the language of the universe, yet many people are not aware of its importance. It can be found throughout nature. Fractal patterns, for example, on romanesco broccoli, have been studied by mathematicians as far back as the 19th century and are at the heart of many of the patterns we see in nature. Mathematics is about finding patterns and figuring out why they are the way they are.

The mathematics we know today has been developed over millennia and has established itself as a cornerstone of many civilisations. Virtually all of the technologies that shape our world such as computers, the internet, GPS (Global Positioning System), credit card encryption, signal processing, and recent AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies like self-driven vehicles and ChatGPT came about as a result of people using mathematics in their inventions.

Mathematics is also fundamental to many other areas which one might not expect – these include CGI (Computer-generated imagery) in movies, animations, music and the arts, the genome project, epidemiology, and space research. As depicted in the 2014 film, The Imitation Game, where a team of mathematicians were instrumental in the allied victory of the Second World War, mathematics can even influence the fate of nations.

                                                                          (Photo: Shutterstock - Chinnapong)

In his book, Letters to a Young Mathematician, Ian Stewart writes: “Our society consumes an awful lot of math, but it all happens behind the scenes. The reason is straightforward: that’s where it belongs… but hardly anyone notices. Hiding the math away makes us all feel comfortable, but it devalues mathematics… It makes people think that math isn’t useful, that it doesn’t matter, that it’s just intellectual games without any true significance.”

We all go day by day without realising that we are surrounded by mathematics because it plays out in the background. However, for one day in the year, we want to give Mathematics the limelight it deserves. March 14 is the International Day of Mathematics (IDM). Long before UNESCO designated IDM in November 2019, Pi-Day was celebrated by mathematicians annually on March 14, as the mathematical constant π is approximately 3.14.

One of the major goals of the International Day of Mathematics is to highlight the role and influence of mathematics in modern society. The University of Pretoria’s Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, which falls within the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS), has been participating in the yearly celebrations of the IDM and this year will be no different.

This month we’ll be taking part in celebrations that will highlight the beauty and importance of mathematics through various activities, and are inviting you to join us. In addition to raising public awareness about the importance of mathematics, the IDM celebrations and activities are an opportunity for our students – our future mathematicians – to share their knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for the subject.

By Dr Eder Kikianty, senior lecturer at the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. With contributions from Dr Walt van Amstel - a postdoctoral fellow, Zerwick de Lang - a third year BSc Physics student and Gerlo Theron - a third year BSc Mathematics student.