The International Day of Mathematics is a project led by the International Mathematical Union, to celebrate the beauty and importance of mathematics and its essential role in everyone’s life. On 26 November 2019, the 40th General Conference of UNESCO proclaimed March 14 as the International Day of Mathematics. March 14 was chosen as the date for the IDM because it was already celebrated in many countries as Pi Day, based on the fact that some countries write it as 3/14 and the mathematical constant Pi is approximately 3.14.

On 14 March 2020, our department celebrated the first International Day of Mathematics with a mathematical picnic and various mathematical activities on the Aula Lawn.

Buffon’s needle experiment

Buffon’s needle problem was posed in the 18th Century by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon: Suppose we have a floor made of parallel strips of wood, each the same width, and we drop a needle onto the floor. What is the probability that the needle will lie across a line between two strips?  The Buffon’s needle experiment (led by Dr Miek Messerschmidt) used the number of crossing of “needles” (we used skewers) to approximate pi. 

After the experiment (our best approximation was 3.2!), Adriaan de Clercq (BSc Honsstudent) gave a short lecture on how it worked.

Games

Some participants who wanted to relax and enjoy the sunny day were playing games at the gaming station led by Dr Marten Wortel.

Origami

We had an origami station led by Daneel Nortier (3rd year) and David Kilian (3rd year). The art of paper folding (origami) is highly mathematical which makes use of symmetries.

Hyperbolic crochet

Another mathematical arts and crafts station was the hyperbolic crochet which is led by Nian Vorster (3rd year). Hyperbolic surfaces are those of negative curvatures. 

Mathematical treats

We treated ourselves with beautiful cakes and some mathematical biscuits. The Head of Department, Professor Roumen Anguelov shared this moment with all participants. 

Scavenger Hunt

After the picnic lunch, participants went on a mathematical scavenger hunt. Led by Dr Rory Biggs, Michelle Jacobs (3rd year), Jason Pillay (3rd year), and Odirile Ntshudisane (MSc student), participants did a campus tour to hunt for mathematical objects around campus.

Acknowledgements

The International Day of Mathematics Project (www.idm314.org): We made use of several resources and suggested activities.

Organising team: Dr Eder Kikianty (chair), Dr Rory Biggs, Dr Miek Messerschmidt, Dr Marten Wortel; Odirile Ntshudisane (MSc student); Adriaan de Clercq and Tatiana Blecher (BSc Hons); Kefentse Freddy Dipudi, Michelle Jacobs, David Kilian, James Murray Louw, Berné Nortier, Daneel Nortier, Jason Pillay, Nian Vorster (3rd year).