National Mathematics Day celebrated at Central University of Punjab

Bathinda, December 22: To commemorate the 134th birth anniversary of the great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, under the patronage of Vice Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, organized a special programme on the occasion of National Mathematics Day. The programme featured an invited talk on the "Life and Mathematical Legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan" by Dr. Tapas Chatterjee, Dept. of Mathematics, IIT Ropar. In addition to this, several activities such as poster presentations, speech competitions, and rangoli competitions were organized for students.
The programme commenced with the welcome address by Prof. Gauree Shankar, HoD, Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, in which he discussed the importance of mathematics in our daily life. He spoke about the contributions of the great Indian mathematicians of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Srinivasa Ramanujan , P.C. Mahalanobis, C.R. Rao, etc., alongside the legendry Indian mathematicians of the classical period, particularly Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, Bhaskara I, Mahavira, Bhaskara II, Madhava, and others, in giving broader and clearer shape to different branches of mathematics.
Prof. R.K. Wusirika, Dean Inchartge Academics, stated that the mathematics subject helps students to nurture their reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. He stated that commemorations of National Mathematics Day will motivate students and research scholars to create new knowledge in this field by drawing inspiration from Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Addressing the participants via online mode, Dr. Tapas Chatterjee shared the life story of Srinivasa Ramanujan and highlighted Ramanujan’s contributions regarding fractions, infinite series, number theory, elliptic functions, mathematical analysis, etc. While discussing the the great mathematician;s childhood struggles, he remarked that despite failing to excel in other subjects, Ramanujan’s deep interest in mathematics enabled him to excel in this discipline. He shared that the original notebooks of Ramanujan’s research work are preserved in the the University of Madras library. He also showed the digitized version of Ramanujan’s letters written to G.H. Hardy and shed light on their joint research work. He stated that Ramanujan’s research work in the field of mathematics was appreciated by prestigious organizations including the Royal Society of London. He concluded his talk by stating that Ramanujan’s life journey inspires the research scholars to make persistent efforts to create new knowledge.
During this programme, students demonstrated their talent in various activities. In the speech competition, Harmandeep Kaur stood on top. In the poster presentation competition, the pair of Sourav Kumawat and Shivank Pal won the first prize. The Rangoli Competition was won by Payal and Neetu’s team.
Towards the end, Dr. Harmanpreet Singh Kapoor gave a formal vote of thanks. The programme was attended by faculty and students of the university.