Events planned for World Mathematics Year 2000

Events planned for World Mathematics Year 2000

By Hendra Gunawan

BANDUNG (JP): Next year will see many mathematics events all
over the globe, in the spirit of the World Mathematics Year
introduced by the International Mathematics Union (IMU).

Based on its 1992 declaration in Rio de Janeiro, the union
will hold the events under the auspices of the United Nations
Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The
events aim to tackle the great challenges in mathematics for the
21st century, promoting mathematics as a key factor for
development and trying to improve the image of the science.

In 1900, in a conference in Paris, prominent mathematician
David Hilbert introduced a series of mathematical problems,
challenging his peers to solve before the end of the century.
Most of them have now been solved.

Continuing this tradition, a number of first class
mathematicians, represented within the Turn of the Century
Committee, are now organizing efforts to formulate the great
challenges for the coming century. The committee is chaired by
Prof. Jacob Palis of Brazil, who was elected last year as the
president of IMU.

Mathematics has long been accepted as one of the main keys for
understanding the world and its development. However, many
countries are still mathematically underdeveloped, even though
they are UNESCO members. In this regard, the events are expected
to help such countries reach a level that enables their admission
to IMU. Founded in 1920, the union so far has only 50 nations as
its members. Indonesia, for example, is not a member.

IMU intends to improve the image of mathematics to promote the
presence of the science in the "information society". This will
be developed in connection with efforts already begun by many
members of the union.

Up to now, many institutions have shown their interest in
taking part in a number of programs planned for the World
Mathematics Year 2000.

IMU itself, for example, is coordinating the publication of a
book of articles, entitled Mathematics Tomorrow, prepared by
prominent mathematicians on the prospects of mathematics in the
next century.

The International Commission for Mathematical Instruction will
be organizing the ninth International Congress on Mathematical
Education, in the cities of Makuhari and Chiba in Japan.

Meanwhile, the International Commission on the History of
Mathematics is compiling a history of mathematics and creating a
public database of the world's mathematicians, including a
description of where original documents concerning him or her can
be found.

In promoting the image of mathematics, the European
Mathematical Society is planning to issue stamps representing
European mathematicians and exhibit mathematics posters of
general interest in the subways of cities all over the world.

Many countries will also be organizing conferences, meetings
and other activities in 2000. The Southeast Asian Mathematics
Society will hold the third Asian Mathematical Conference in
Manila. However, the Indonesian Mathematical Society has nothing
planned for the World Mathematics Year.

Mathematics in Indonesia has recently grown significantly.
More than 53 years after independence, Indonesia now has only
around 65 people holding doctorates in mathematics, far less than
adequate for such a big country. Singapore, by comparison, has at
least 150 Ph.D. holders in mathematics.

While education in general is still in a mess, the image of
mathematics in Indonesian society is not good and public
appreciation of mathematics is poor. The poor appreciation is
probably closely related to the country's cultural development.
We compare poorly to the ancient Greeks, who had a great
appreciation of mathematics.

Our Indonesian ancestors did not value mathematics adequately.
Obviously, many Indonesians currently tend to appreciate things
that are profitable or produce immediate results rather than
those with long-term rewards. Thus the Ministry of Education and
Culture and the Office of the State Minister of Research and
Technology provide more research funds for applied sciences than
for pure studies such as mathematics.

The situation is worsened by misleading teaching of
mathematics at schools. Indonesian students learn mathematics
through nothing but a series of procedural and soulless
calculations, instead of useful modeling or creative and
innovative problem solving. All this has to be improved.

So, the World Mathematics Year next year is expected to
encourage Indonesian mathematicians, scientists, engineers and
teachers to improve mathematics teaching at schools, reveal a
better image of mathematics, and make the general public aware of
the important role of mathematics in the development of culture,
society and the nation. Such efforts will surely need support
from the government.

The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics of
the Bandung Institute of Technology in West Java.