Vijnana Bharati, and C3i Hub IIT Kanpur in association with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India are commemorating the 135th Birth Anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan with an International Conference on Number Theory from February 27 to March 1, 2023. This is in line with Vijnana Bharati and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India’s joint initiative to organize various programmes across the country celebrating the contribution of Indian scientists in the freedom movement, under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative.
The International Conference on Number Theory at IIT Kanpur is dedicated to the extraordinary achievements of the great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. The conference aims to bring together leading experts in the field of number theory to discuss and exchange ideas on the latest research findings and emerging trends in the field.
The programme was inaugurated by IIT Kanpur Director Professor Abhay Karandikar, Fragrance & Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) Director Shakti Vinay Shukla, IIT Kanpur’s Professor Manindra Agrawal, and Provincial General Secretary of Vijnana Bharati Professor Sunil Mishra, by lighting the lamp.
On the first day of the conference, more than 200 students from class 11th to B.Sc. from 20 schools and colleges in and around Kanpur and nearby districts, participated. The students were introduced to Ramanujan’s life and work and were taught about the basic principles of Vedic mathematics, with a focus on Baudhayana’s theorem. They were given exercises relating to Baudhayana’s theorem and the life and works of Ramanujan. The students were also quizzed on Ramanujan’s life and work, and those who answered correctly were rewarded.
In the third, fourth and fifth session on Day 1, the students were taught about the usage of coding and AI in making an app, and were taught about new technology through steam show. They were also enlightened on the correlation between number and health and the science behind yoga.
Mathematician Prof. Anokhe Lal Pathak, Vedic Mathematics expert Sujeet Singh, coding and AI expert from STEMROBO, Anurag Gupta, science and technology education communicator Kaustubh Omar, senior doctor Dr. BN Acharya and Yogacharya Amit Saxena were among the experts who presented interactive sessions to the students on the inaugural day of the conference.
A documentary on the life of Ramanujan by renowned filmmaker Nandan Kudhyadi was screened during the programme. Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, former Director General, CSIR and National President, Vijnana Bharati; and Dr. DS Bag, Joint Director, DMSRDE, were present for the closing session on Day 1. They congratulated and awarded DPS Azad Nagar the first prize for making an excellent short film on the life of Ramanujan, while the second prize was awarded to Rajkiya Engineering College, Banda.
Researchers and experts from around the world researching Number Theory will gather at IIT Kanpur for various sessions during the three-day international conference. The event will showcase Ramanujan’s extraordinary legacy and explore the fascinating world of mathematics and its applications.
