The Malta Mathematical Society (MMS) is a recently reinstated society run by students of mathematics at the University of Malta, with some help from members of the academic staff. We organise various events throughout the year to increase public engagement and literacy of mathematics and, for this reason, many of our events are targeted towards individuals with a sixth former’s grasp of mathematics, and occasionally towards the general public.
It is quite difficult for sixth formers to understand what mathematics is like to study at university level; probably, such students would similarly find it difficult to explain to young O level mathematics students what their studies are like in preparing for A level.
For this reason, many of the events we organise are informal talks where university students can present material related to their studies in an accessible way. We encourage any sixth formers to follow our pages on social media so that they can hear about and attend our events, especially if they enjoy studying mathematics but are unsure what course to pursue at university.
We encourage any sixth formers to follow our pages on social media so that they can hear about and attend our events
The MMS was founded in 1998, with committee members Prof. Joseph Muscat (president), Audrienne Cutajar Bezzina, Ċettina Gauci Pulo, James L. Borg and Jill Kirkstadt, and the first AGM was held on January 5, 1999. Between 1999 and 2007, the MMS organised several talks and events open to the general public, and it was also responsible for the foundation of the Malta Mathematics Olympiad, which is in its 11th edition today.
After around a decade of inactivity, Luke Collins happened to learn about the society from an archived version of the mathematics department’s website, and became interested in getting it started again.
Thus, he approached Muscat, together with fellow students Jake Xuereb and Xandru Mifsud, and together they started organising events again. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we grew a significant online following, since most of our events were held over videoconferencing. One of our most popular events during this time was a debate titled ‘Is Mathematics invented, or discovered?’, which can be found on our YouTube channel.
We would like to reiterate our invitation to any sixth formers who enjoy their mathematics studies to visit our social media pages and attend our events. We would also like to encourage students who are studying mathematics at university to actively involve themselves in the MMS. We look forward to welcoming you all.
Sound Bites
• Irene Sciriha, a resident professor at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Malta, has single-handedly laid down the foundation for nut graphs. After nearly three decades of research, during which nut graphs found important chemical applications, Sciriha and Alexander Farrugia published a book in 2021 titled From Nut Graphs to Molecular Structure and Conductivity. This book contains new predictions on the conductivity of molecules used in nanotechnology.
• On July 5 of this year, Maryna Viazovska was the second woman (and first Ukrainian) to be awarded the most prestigious Fields Medal. She obtained this achievement for the proof that the E8 lattice provides the densest packing of identical spheres in eight dimensions. The three other recipients of the medal were James Maynard, Hugo Duminilin-Copin and June Huh for their astounding contributions in analytic number theory, probability and statistical physics, and building links between algebraic geometry and combinatorics respectively.
For more science news, listen to Radio Mocha on www.fb.com/RadioMochaMalta/.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The term ‘mathematics’ is derived from the Greek verb μαθήσομαι, the future tense of μανθάνω, ‘to learn’ or ‘to discover’.
• The Greeks, following other prominent peoples such as the Sumerians, Babylonians and the Egyptians, were pioneers of mathematical study. They made great advancements in the development of the
theorem-proof method and the writing of mathematical treatises.
• The observations of these early mathematicians were often grounded in philosophy, and their results pertained especially to the fields of geometry, number theory and enumeration.
• Among the most famous Greek mathematicians are Pythagoras of Samos, Euclid and Archimedes of Syracuse. Perhaps one of the most famous theorems developed by the Greeks is Pythagoras’ theorem, which has at least 370 different proofs!
For more trivia see: www.um.edu.mt/think.