When is International Mathematics Day?

March 14th.

March 14, 2020, is mankind’s first “International Mathematics Day”. The nickname of this holiday is "Pi Day" - the reason why International Mathematics Day is set on March 14 is because "3.14" is the number closest to pi. The mathematics community has celebrated "Pi Day" before, but this time, March 14 is designated as the International Day of Mathematics every year, which was officially announced at the 40th General Conference of UNESCO on November 26, 2019.

The "International Mathematics Day" project was initiated by the International Mathematical Union. This long-standing international academic organization said that this move was to celebrate "the beauty and importance of mathematics in our daily lives." To celebrate the first International Mathematics Day, more than 1,000 events have been announced in more than 100 countries around the world. But the coronavirus has created uncertainty about how these events can take place. The press conference originally scheduled to be held by UNESCO on March 13 was also canceled due to the epidemic.

Bedoele, Assistant Director-General of Natural Sciences of the organization, said: "The technical application of mathematics underpins all areas of our lives today." According to UNESCO statistics, as of March 10, from preschool to From education to higher education, nearly 363 million students around the world have been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, with 20% of preschool and basic education students and 25% of higher education students suspended.

In Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, 15 countries have implemented nationwide school closures. Christian Rousseau, a professor at the University of Montreal in Canada and the initiator of International Mathematics Day, said: "Mathematics is a field of study that has existed throughout human history. Today, mathematics has developed into a tool so complex that most people don't even notice. Its ubiquity in our lives ”“In my opinion, the establishment of an International Day of Mathematics is long overdue.”