National Mathematics Day 2023: History, Importance and Celebration

Every year the nation observes the 22nd day of December as the National Mathematics Day 2023 to mark the birth anniversary of renowned Indian mathemetician, Srinivasa Ramanujan. But there is not much that we know about this day, why is it celebrated and various other small and big questions. So, today we will talk about this very important day, how it is celebrated in educational institutions throughout the nation and all the other things that you need to know about it. 

The History of National Mathematics Day

• Every year on December 22, India celebrates National Mathematics Day in honour of the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who is a famous figure in mathematics. Despite having no academic experience in mathematics, Ramanujan—who was born in Erode, Tamil Nadu, in 1887—made substantial contributions to number theory, infinite series, mathematical analysis, and continuous fractions.
• On February 26, 2012, Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister at the time, declared the day to be National Mathematics Day in recognition of Ramanujan’s extraordinary contributions to mathematics. As a memorial to Ramanujan’s unmatched brilliance and his influence on the field of mathematics, the day was set to fall on his birthday.
• The mathematical ideas of Srinivasa Ramanujan were genuinely amazing. His research covered a wide range of topics, such as fake theta functions, elliptic functions, and extremely composite numbers. Throughout his brief life, Ramanujan independently amassed almost 3,900 findings, many of which were later validated and established as cornerstones in other fields of mathematics. 
• National Mathematics Day fulfils several functions. It seeks to highlight the value of mathematics in a variety of contexts, encourage students to major in mathematics, and honour Indian mathematicians’ contributions to the international mathematical community. 
• The day also emphasises the importance of identifying, developing, and supporting mathematical talent, as well as the role that education plays in producing the next generation of mathematicians. Events and activities are arranged by a variety of educational establishments, mathematical associations, and research groups to encourage students and the general public to explore mathematics. Schools all around the nation give special importance to this day as it helps students develop an interest in the field of maths. 

The Importance of Mathematics in Everyday Life

Maths is a compulsory subject till class 10th in the Indian curriculum but a lot of students hate it because of its complexities. Due to this most of the students look forward to class 11th so that they can drop this subject. But students need to understand the importance of mathematics which is not limited to textbooks only. 

So, in very simple words Mathematics is like a superpower that helps us understand and solve problems in our everyday lives. It’s not just about numbers; it’s a way of thinking and figuring things out. Like a superpower, mathematics aids in our understanding and problem-solving in day-to-day living. It’s a style of thinking and making sense of things, not simply statistics.

• First of all, maths is necessary for everyday chores like cooking and grocery shopping. Math is used to determine whether you have enough money and to compute the cost of an item before making a purchase. Math is often used in the kitchen when altering recipes and measuring components. 
• So maths is useful for managing finances and preparing tasty food! In school, math teaches us to solve puzzles and think logically. It’s not just about memorizing formulas; it’s about understanding how things work. This problem-solving skill is super handy in real life. Whether you’re fixing something at home or making a decision, math guides you to find the best solution.
• In the world of jobs, many professions require math skills. Engineers use math to design buildings and bridges, ensuring they are safe and sturdy. Scientists rely on math to analyze data and make discoveries. Even artists use math to create beautiful designs and sculptures. So, math opens up a lot of cool career opportunities!  
• And not only this, maths is an important part of almost all senior lever exams be it entrance exams for top universities or exams for government posts, you need to be good in maths to crack these exams. 
• Mathematics is also a language that scientists use to explain the laws of nature. From the way planets move to the growth of plants, math helps us make sense of the world around us. It’s like a secret code that reveals the beauty and order in everything. And most important of all maths is the backbone of inventions, machines, architecture, and almost all the things that you see around yourself. 

Events and Activities Related to National Mathematics Day

Different educational institutions organize different events for National Mathematics Day. Some conduct quiz competitions that include maths questions and some general questions related to the same field. To add a bit of fun to the day some of the schools encourage students to take part in puzzles and games like Suduko, number Jigsaw, Kakuro, Word search and various other similar activities so that students can indulge in maths but in a little different way. 

In celebrations of this Ramanujan day, schools not only conduct activities related to maths but also conduct various events ranging from skits to dramas. Students perform a whole skit to depict the life of this great mathematician and how he became one. Along with this light is also thrown at the contribution made by him to the word of numbers so that students can learn more about it and develop interest in the same field. 

Some schools have adopted a far different approach to celebrating this day as they ask their students beforehand to come up with interesting maths and physics projects and on the Dday a proper Mathematics fair is conducted so that all the students can indulge in something related to maths and then, later on, can look at each other’s projects to learn something new. 

Mathematics workshops and talks, mathematical arts and crafts, movie screenings, scavenger hunts, storytelling, mathematics and technology expo, and mathematics-themed dress-up day are some of the other interesting ways to mark this day. 

Also Read: National Mathematics Day Essay for Students

Mathematics in Everyday Life

Most of the students don’t have a good relationship with maths as they find it difficult. Due to this they wait for the time when it is finally out of their lives and their curriculums. But is it really possible to kick maths out of life? The answer is a clear No. Because even if you are not a hard-core student of maths you need it in everyday life. 

Mathematics is an integral part of our daily lives, influencing various aspects of our routines and activities. From the moment we wake up until we go to bed, we encounter and use math in numerous everyday applications. Let’s take a very basic example of a regular day routine. 

• In the morning, setting an alarm involves timekeeping – a basic mathematical concept. As we prepare breakfast, measuring ingredients for a recipe requires understanding fractions and proportions. Even checking the time it takes to toast bread involves a form of basic arithmetic.
• When we head out, whether by car, bus, or any other mode of transportation, we rely on math to calculate distances, travel times, and perhaps even fuel consumption. Budgeting for the day involves addition and subtraction, helping us manage expenses and make financial decisions.
• Then as the day progresses we indulge in other activities. Be it you are at work or school, organizing schedules and planning activities involves using calendars and understanding time intervals. 
• Math is fundamental in tasks like calculating percentages, analyzing data, and creating graphs or charts to visualize information. For instance, when evaluating whether a sale item offers a good deal, we often rely on calculating the percentage discount.
• Technology, an integral part of modern life, is steeped in mathematics. From the algorithms that power our social media feeds to the encryption protecting our online transactions, math plays a crucial role in the digital world. The devices we use, such as smartphones and computers, operate based on mathematical principles.
• Not only this, you need to calculate your finances and taxes, throughout your life. Every other activity of the day has some essence of maths in it. 

So, it would not be wrong to say that math is not confined to the classroom; it permeates every aspect of our lives. It is the silent companion that helps us navigate our daily routines, make informed decisions, and appreciate the underlying order and logic in the world around us.

Recognizing Mathematical Achievements

We all know the reason behind the celebration of Maths Day but now we will discuss all the contributions and achievements of Srinivasa Ramanujan in the field of mathematics that make it Ramanujan Day. 

• He developed novel infinite series that converge rapidly, contributing to more efficient calculations of the mathematical constant π.
• Introduced the concept of mock theta functions, generalizing properties of modular forms with applications in diverse mathematical areas.
• One of the biggest findings associated with him is the smallest positive integer expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways 1729, illustrating his ability to find beauty in numbers.
• Made significant contributions to the theory of modular forms and theta functions, advancing the understanding of elliptic functions.
• He has extensively worked on partition numbers, offering efficient algorithms for counting ways to express a number as a sum of positive integers, impacting combinatorics and number theory.

Looking Ahead: Future of Mathematics

Maths has always been an exciting field because a new advancement in this field can lead to a lot of new advancements in other fields associated with it. Some of the key aspects of the advancements in the field of cricket in the future are mentioned below:

• New findings in the field of Computational methods, algorithms, and simulations are expected as they are likely to play a more prominent role in solving intricate mathematical problems and testing conjectures.
• Advancements in the field of applied maths are expected as the rise of big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, the intersection of mathematics and data science is expanding. 
• The emergence of quantum computing introduces new mathematical challenges and opportunities.
• Advances in topology and quantum field theory are likely to have important implications, especially in understanding the fundamental nature of space, time, and matter.
• Some not-so-usual advances are also expected as Mathematicians will persist in tackling long-standing problems, such as the Riemann Hypothesis, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture, and the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem. Solutions to these problems could reshape entire areas of mathematics.

Conclusion

To sum up everything it can be said that National Mathematics Day 2023 celebrated on December 22nd is of great significance as it marks the birth anniversary of one of the greatest Indian mathematicians Srinivasa Ramanujan. It was a great initiative taken by then PM Dr Manmohan Singh to acknowledge the contributions that he made to the world of maths. Celebration of this day among young minds helps them in getting better knowledge of this field and encourages them to pursue this. Different educational institutions organize different activities to celebrate this very important day. And not only this it is a day to celebrate the beauty, elegance, and practical applications of mathematics while encouraging the pursuit of mathematical knowledge and innovation.

FAQs on National Mathematics Day 2023