International Day of Mathematics

For many years now March 14^th has been widely, but informally, known as Pi day, because that day is written as 3/14 in some countries, and 3.14 is, of course, a well-known approximation to the number $\pi$ .

March 14^th 2020 will be the first of an annually recurring International Day of Mathematics, as adopted by the 40^th session of the General Conference of the UNESCO held in November 2019. The project is being led by the International Mathematics Union. The major goals of the project, as found via their website, are as follows:

Improve understanding among the general public, decision makers and in schools, of the importance of mathematics in education;
Contribute to capacity building in mathematical and scientific education, with special focus on girls and children from developing countries;
Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls in mathematics;
Improve understanding among the general public, with decision makers and in schools of the importance of mathematics as a tool for developments which lead to more prosperous economy circumstances;
Emphasize the importance of basic research in mathematical sciences as the seed to breakthroughs in technology and the management of society;
Highlight the role of mathematics in the organization of modern society, including economic, financial, health and transport systems, telecommunications in the quest for human well-being, etc;
Raise awareness of the role of mathematics in fighting disasters, epidemics, emerging diseases, invasive species;
Highlight the role of mathematics in moving to a circular economy of sustainability compatible with preservation of biodiversity;
Equip the general public and young people with tools for understanding the planetary challenges and the capacity to respond as knowledgeable citizens;
Increase international networking and collaborations in public awareness of mathematics;
Increase the access to information, providing a simple way to give citizens a choice in all aspects of their daily life.

Each year there will be a theme: that for 2020 is Mathematics is Everywhere.

Many organisations throughout the world have expressed support for the project, and the IMA will be running a number of activities in support during the week ending March 14^th (which is on a Saturday this year), including branch talks and the Big Bang attendance.

It remains to be seen if the name takes off, or if the day continues to be generally referred to as Pi day!

Image Credit: Featured image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash