Great Maths brains assemble in Hyderabad

DESARAJU SURYA
HYDERABAD: Wizards of mathematics from the across the globe congregated at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre for the nine-day International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) that the President of India Pratibha Patil inaugurated with a call for promotion of mathematics studies among the young generation.
This is the first time that the ICM, organized every four years by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), is being held in India. More than 3,000 delegates from over 80 countries are taking part in the ICM.
The President gave away the prestigious Fields Medals, also called the Maths Nobel, to four eminent mathematicians in recognition of their contribution to the field. The four Fields Medals were presented to Elon Lindenstrauss (Israel), Ngo Bao Chau (Vietnam), Stanislav Smirnov (Russia) and Cedric Villani (France). The Rolf Nevanlinna Prize was presented to Daniel Spielman of Yale University while the Gauss Prize was given away to Yves Meyer of France.
The newly-instituted Chern Prize for lifelong achievements in mathematics was presented to Canadian Louis Nirenberg of New York University.
Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Minister K Rosaiah, International Mathematical Union president L Lovasz, organizing committee chairman M S Raghunathan, secretary Rajat Tandon and others were present on the occasion.
In her inaugural address, the President noted that mathematics inculcated the habit of rational thought and promoted scientific temper. She stressed on the need for promotion of mathematics studies among the young generation.
The President said the need for understanding mathematics was necessary in all walks of life, be it engineers, scientists or those working in the industry, finance or social sciences.
Since Independence, India recognized the importance of science as a vehicle for human progress, the President said. “Mathematics, the language of science and its advancement, is an integral part of India’s science policy,” she added.
“Economics and social sciences, once impervious to mathematics, are coming increasingly under its influence. There is an aesthetic component to its pursuit and it inculcates the habit of rational thought. Its role in other human endeavours apart, we also recognize the profound cultural dimension that the study of mathematics has,” Pratibha Patil said.
Noting that India’s engagement with mathematics dated back to some three thousand years, the President said the country had a rich mathematical heritage and has been accorded a primary position among intellectual pursuits.
“Like the crest of the peacock and the jewel of the serpent, Mathematics stands at the helm of all sciences,” Pratibha said, quoting a Sanskrit verse.
She recalled the contributions of Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta to the development of Algebra and Astronomy and also that of Bhaskaracharya. “However, until the last Century, the West seems to have been unaware of Madhava, a mathematician of the 15th Century who anticipated the essentials of Calculus. It is only in recent years that the work of ‘Kerala School’ has attracted considerable attention from historians of mathematics,” Pratibha Patil pointed out.
Revival of mathematical activity in India was triggered by the advent of the extraordinary figure of Srinivasa Ramanujan in the 20th Century, she said, adding that Ramanujan’s achievements were a source of inspiration for succeeding generations.
She wished success for the initiatives of the International Mathematical Union aimed at promotion of mathematics in developing countries.
The ICM assumes significance for India as it is being held coinciding with the Centenary of the founding of Indian Mathematical Society and the Silver Jubilee year of Ramanujan Mathematical Society.
World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand will test his skills by playing chess simultaneously against 40 mathematicians on the sidelines of the mega event, Prof Govindan Rangarajan of the ICM organizing committee said.
The award winners presented their works to the delegates during the technical sessions that followed the inauguration ceremony.
Panel discussions on interesting topics like “Mathematics Education and Popularization of Mathematics” and “Mathematics in Science and Technology” will begin tomorrow. A panel discussion on how to take mathematics to high schools has also been scheduled during the event. The London Mathematical Society is organizing a discussion on August 25 on ‘Mechanisms for strengthening mathematics in developing countries’ as part of the ICM.