True Math: The real essence of mathematics
A participatory online series of events
Why can’t you divide by zero? Why do you have to multiply a number by the reciprocal of a fraction in order to divide by it? And why is the theorem of Pythagoras valid? Many people have learned mathematical rules at school, but are unaware of why they are valid. They see mathematical facts as hard-and-fast rules that have to be learned by heart without being put into question. This is often accompanied by a lack of confidence in their own mathematical abilities, because many think they are not capable of understanding the reasoning involved.
This is a serious misconception. Mathematics is not a “set of rules”, but the science of patterns and structures. Recognizing and understanding patterns are important mathematical processes that have more to do with curiosity, the urge to explore, and enthusiasm for research than with memorizing rules. And everyone can do this!
In a call for proposals, the Foundation solicited ideas for an innovative event that would communicate scientific findings to a broad-based public. The aim was to generate a fundamental interest in science and research. The event was to be different from the usual formats and ideally address people of different age groups. The location, time, duration, and focus on scientific content could be freely chosen. One project has now been selected from a total of almost 80 submissions.
This is the “real essence” of mathematics and is the subject of an innovative online series of events. Over the course of six evening events Christian Spannagel, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Didactics at Heidelberg University of Education, will examine various mathematical statements together with the participants and establish why they are valid. The target group comprises all people in the German-speaking countries between the ages of 16 and 99. All that is required is a knowledge of mathematics at lower secondary level.
The event is taking place on the Twitch and Discord platforms and enables a lively exchange among all participants. It is an interactive, participatory format for science communication. Not only mathematics itself is discussed here, but also its social relevance. Unscientific content such as fake news and esotericism is becoming increasingly widespread on the social media. People often simply assume that statements are true without questioning them critically. Especially in a democracy, however, it is essential that people do not blindly follow assertions or adhere to rules, but that they should want to understand why something is valid or makes sense. Critical thinking is an important fundamental attitude in a democratic society. Mathematics can help to foster precisely this attitude. This series of events aims to make a contribution to this end.
The streams on Twitch start on the following dates, each at 8 p.m.:
- Wednesday, October 23, 2024
- Wednesday, November 20, 2024
- Wednesday, December 11, 2024
- Wednesday, January 8, 2025
- Wednesday, February 5, 2025
- Wednesday, February 26, 2025
