World Year of Mathematics 2000
The World Year of Mathematics 2000 (Engl. World Mathematical Year 2000 , WMY2000 ) was an initiative of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) . The goal of the World Year was the broad public discussion of three central themes:
- The great challenges of the 21st century
- Mathematics as the key to development
- The Public Image of Mathematics
In 2000, numerous events were held around the world on these topics. They were not primarily aimed at professional mathematicians, but sought to draw the public's attention to the importance and concerns of mathematics.
At its general assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the IMU proclaimed 2000 the World Year of Mathematics. The UNESCO and the Third World Academy of Sciences took over sponsorship . The organization of the events and the issuing of publications on the WMY2000 were mainly taken over by the national mathematical societies and the mathematical institutes of the universities, but also by schools, museums and other cultural institutions.
The WMY2000 was continued nationally in Germany through the Year of Mathematics 2008 .
A central theme of the WMY2000 projects was the popularization of mathematics. Two projects that were dedicated to this goal and that were aimed at a large number of people over a long period of time should be presented as examples:
- Traveling exhibition "Experiencing Mathematics" : UNESCO has presented the interactive mathematics exhibition Experiencing Mathematics in many countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and America since 2000 . It is aimed primarily at schoolchildren and students, but also at the interested public. Mathematics is illustrated in this exhibition by exhibits that encourage visitors to actively interact.
- Mathematics on the London Underground : The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge, England has produced 12 posters highlighting the importance of different mathematical disciplines in people's everyday lives, e.g. B. for weather forecast, encryption on chip cards or aviation. In 2000, these posters were placed on advertising space for one month in each of the London Underground carriages.
literature
- VI Arnold, M. Atiyah, P. Lax, B. Mazur (Eds.): Mathematics: Frontiers and Perspectives (en.) . American Mathematical Society 2000, ISBN 978-0821826973
- E. Behrends, N. Crato, JFRodrigues (Eds.): Raising Public Awareness of Mathematics (en.) . Springer 2012, ISBN 978-3642257094
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Mathematical Year (en.) Central website for the WMY 2000; Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ↑ WMY 2000 Projects (en.) List of projects on the central website for the WMY 2000 (wmy2000.math.jussieu.fr); Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ↑ M. Chaleyat-Maurel: WMY2000: Ten Years On (en.) . In: E. Behrends, N. Crato, JFRodrigues (Eds.): Raising Public Awareness of Mathematics . Springer 2012.
- ↑ Experiencing Mathematics (en.) ( Memento from July 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Central website of the traveling exhibition (www.mathex.org); Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ^ Maths Posters in the London Underground (en.) Presentation and explanation of the posters by the Isaac Newton Institute (www.newton.ac.uk); Retrieved September 11, 2013.