Every year on 22nd December one of the brightest minds of India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar is honoured on his birth anniversary as India celebrates its National Mathematics Day. A mathematician with surprisingly almost no formal training in maths, Ramanujan is still a well-known figure in this crucial subject. Best known for his contributions to number theory and infinite series, Ramanujan had an IQ of 185 and at the age of 11 had already mastered a great deal of mathematics.
While his life was filled with bouts of sickness, and the great mathematician died at the young age of 32, he managed to leave a lasting impression in the world of mathematics.
The history behind National Maths Day
It was on 22nd December 2012, on the 125th birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared the day to be National Mathematics Day. Born on 22nd December 1887, Ramanujan attended a few educational institutions however, he was mostly self-taught when it came to mathematics. He dropped out of college and secured a clerical position in Madras, only to be noticed by British mathematician G H Hardy. The two later corresponded and Ramanujan was offered the opportunity to work with fellow mathematicians at the University of Cambridge.
Ramanujan left for England in 1913, much to his mother’s dismay, who believed that Brahmins should not step out of their motherland. He stayed and worked at the University of Cambridge until he fell sick once again. He returned to India in 1920 soon after which he passed away. But the great mathematician did not pass away in vain. He left behind several notebooks with unfathomable mathematical expressions and which were followed and referred to decades after his death.
In fact in the late 70’s when one of his lost notebooks was discovered, the entire mathematics community was overjoyed.
More About National Mathematics Day Celebration in Schools
Schools, universities, and colleges choose to celebrate this important occasion with speeches and workshops on mathematics and the popular work by Ramanujan. Many institutions also host Olympiads and tests in mathematics on this day too.
Some other popular activities on National Maths Day involve math in everyday life and games such as puzzles, quizzes, quick maths etc. This encourages students to have fun with math and learn more. They can also use this time to refresh some concepts, turn to their notebooks and geometry boxes and understand the importance of math in everyday life.
Celebrate this maths day with Classmate products to have the best experience with high-quality smooth writing pens, notebooks, graph notebooks and more. Find all your important math supplies online at ITC Store. Happy National Mathematics Day!
FAQs on National Mathematics Day:
- Which day is National Mathematics Day?
The national Maths Day date is 22nd December every year. It is the birth anniversary of the late mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan. - How do we celebrate National Mathematics Day?
Schools and other educational institutions celebrate math day by conducting workshops, speeches and other fun activities related to math. Many universities and educational bodies also conduct Olympiads on this day to mark the occasion. - Why is December 22 called Maths day?
National Maths Day is celebrated every year to honour the late mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan who is known for his immense contribution to the field of mathematics, especially in number theory and infinite series. - Who is the father of maths?
Archimedes is known as the father of mathematics. - What is the importance of Mathematics Day?
To honour and remember the contributions of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a big name in the field of mathematics, PM Manmohan Singh declared Ramanujan’s birth anniversary to be celebrated at National Mathematics Day every year. Since then, educational institutions mark the occasion with speeches, workshops, quizzes, and Olympiads related to mathematics on this day.