Pi Day

The number π is one of the most important mathematical constants that exist. π is a fascinating number that is extremely popular, and even has its own day. Pi Day has been celebrated on March 14th every year since 1988. The event was the physicist Larry Shaw’s idea, who put forward the proposal and added that the day also coincided with Albert Einstein’s date of birth. In addition, the way in which March 14th is written in US English and in Basque coincides with the first three digits of the number. (3-14 martxoaren 14 in Basque / 3-14, March 14th in US English)

In recent years, Pi Day celebrations have been expanding, turning the day into an event that goes beyond the scope of mathematics. π is present in physics, in Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, in the Theory of Relativity, and Coulomb’s Law. It appears in geology when estimating the length of rivers; in biochemistry when studying the structure of a DNA molecule; in astronomy when studying the shape of the universe, and in many more applications that affect our day-to-day lives.

We will be taking part in the Pi Day celebrations in 2018 with a special BCAM-NAUKAS event, which will take place throughout the entire day (Thursday, March 14th) at the UPV/EHU Bizkaia Aretoa building. BCAM-NAUKAS will include mathematical workshops for students during the morning, and a series of short lectures aimed at the general public in the afternoon.

The event is an initiative from the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and the Chair of Scientific Culture of the University of the Basque Country.

Pi Day Programme

9:00 – 16:30 Mathematical Workshops

Workshops for students in the last years of primary school, and secondary school students. The objective is to introduce young people to mathematics in a playful and attractive way, aiming to make them interested in this science.

• Primary school  5- 6 PS grades
  • 09:00 – 10:00: Mosaics (Nelo Maestre)
  • 10:30 – 11:30: Mosaics (Nelo Maestre)
  • 12:00 – 13:00: The Moebius Strip (Juan Miguel Ribera)
  • 15:15 – 16:15: The Moebius Strip (Juan Miguel Ribera)
• Secondary school 1-2 SS grades
  • 09:00 – 10:00: Gigant Games (Pedro Alegría – Raúl Ibáñez)
  • 10:30 – 11:30: Gigant Games (Pedro Alegría – Raúl Ibáñez)
  • 12:00 – 13:00: Gigant Games (Pedro Alegría – Raúl Ibáñez)
  • 15:15 – 16:15: Gigant Games (Pedro Alegría – Raúl Ibáñez)
• Secundaria ESO/DBH 3-4
  • 09:00 – 10:00: Perspective (Tania Giraldo)
  • 10:30 – 11:30: Perspective (Tania Giraldo)
  • 12:00 – 13:00: Balloon-aided (Fracisco González)
  • 15:15 – 16:15: Ballon-aided (Francisco González)

The workshops have a maximum capacity of 40 people. To attend, education centres must register by sending an email to kzk.ehu@gmail.com with the following details:

• Name of the workshop they would like to take part in:
• Time of the workshop:
• Number of participants:
• Teacher’s name and surname:
• Education centre:
• Contact telephone number:

19:00 – 21:00 BCAM-NAUKAS

Short, dynamic and accessible lectures, lasting 15 minutes each, will be given at the Mitxelena lecture theatre in the Bizkaia Aretoa building. The objective of these lectures is to make the fascinating nature of mathematics more accessible, and to find out the properties and applications of the number Pi in everyday life, among other things.

19:00-19:15: Presentation of the BCAM NAUKAS event

19:15-19:30: The number of taxis in Bilbao and espionage during the 2^nd world war – Juan Antonio Cuesta (University of Cantabria)

19:30-19:45: π, on earth as it is in heaven – Enrique F. Borja (Seville University)

19:45-20:00: Diagnosing diseases: a matter of probabilities – Maria Xosé Rodríguez-Álvarez (BCAM, Bilbao)

20:00-20:15: The magic of Pythagorean numbers – Francisco González (Jaume I University, Castellón)

20:15-20:30: Mathematics in spite of everything – Ágata Timón (ICMAT, Madrid)

20:30-20:45: The Talbot effect: weaving rugs with light – Daniel Eceizabarrena (BCAM, Bilbao)

20:45-21:00: Follow the white rabbit – Clara Grima (University of Seville)

Access to the BCAM-NAUKAS lectures is free, subject to available seating.

Come and celebrate Pi Day on March 14th at Bizkaia Aretoa and enjoy a mathematical day that will certainly be out of the ordinary!