India has given a lot to the world of Mathematics. Right from the initial days when Aryabhatta gave the world of mathematics the digit zero to today when Indian mathematicians are ruling the world of mathematics. This includes names like Brahmagupta, Srinivasa Ramanujan among others. In celebration of such a tirade of achievements, the country has decided to celebrate 22nd December as National Mathematics Day.
Now the first and foremost question that arises here is why has this particular day been chosen for the same. The answer lies in the fact that this is done in order to celebrate the birth of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Indian mathematician who took the world of Mathematics by storm at a very small age. December 22 was designated as National Mathematics Day (NMD) by Government of India in 1987. Since then this day is celebrated throughout the country with great enthusiasm.A number of papers written by him on matters pertaining to number theory, mathematical analysis, and continued fractions continue to hold significance even today.
It was in recognition of his noteworthy contributions to the beautiful world of mathematics that in the year 2012 it was decided that his birth anniversary will be marked as National Mathematics Day. The basic aim of celebrating such a day was to foster scientific temperament among the youth and encourage them to take baby steps in the world of mathematics and explore its application in the spheres of economics, science, and other disciplines. It is with this agenda that the then Prime Minister of India, Dr. Man Mohan Singh inaugurated the Center for Higher Mathematics and named it after Srinivasa Ramanujan at the Alagappa University.
In celebration of such a momentous day, the United Nations Educations, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is working in collaboration with the mathematical fraternity in India to spread the joy of learning and understanding Mathematics. One of the oldest Science academies of the country, the National Academy of Sciences, India is also doing its bit to promote mathematics. By organizing lectures that attract eminent personalities from across the country and then discussing the works of Srinivasa Ramanujan in the same, the Allahabad based academy ensures that the works of this great mathematician stand every test of time.
Other than the aforementioned methods, the different states celebrate the day in their own way. Poster competitions, Quiz competitions, and objective test competitions all made it to the tasks for the day with the themes ranging from ‘Indian Mathematics’ and ‘Mathematics for Life’ to ‘Applications of Mathematics’ and ‘Modern Day Mathematics’. Celebration of such a day is indeed a welcome step and will go a long way in promoting mathematics among the young minds of the country.