Events

We hear so often that mathematics is everywhere, that it is the basis of all the disciplines and that we need it for almost anything we do in our lives. At the same time, we are very tempted to believe that this is only what the teacher says and that in reality, things are rather different.

Our intention is not to provide definitive, categorical answers, but we do believe that it is worth showing you some examples.

For this purpose, we announce a series of events with guests from various disciplines who will show us how relevant is mathematics in their discipline.

Archaeology, programming, economy, literature, physics are just some more or less obvious examples of domains of knowledge where mathematics is either of fundamental or entirely non-negligible importance.

  • You’ve certainly heard about the Gaussian curve, the distribution that has most of its values around the middle point. But what does it have to do with the Gaussian blur filter in Photoshop?

    How can we use fractals and entropy to compress digital images?

    What are kernel matrices and how can one use them to process images for sharpening effects or contour mapping?

    What does barrel distortion mean? How and why could one take pictures in the infrared spectrum?

    Join our discussion on such topics, where our guest is the highly-acclaimed photographer Miluță Flueraș. The event will take place on June 10th, from 18.30 (UTC+2).

  • Games are a part of our lives, whether we are aware of them or not. In his famous work, Homo Ludens (1938), Johan Huizinga argues that many aspects of our everyday lives are surprisingly similar to game rules and mechanics.

    Mathematicians also have a theory of games, which economists use to analyze decisions. John Nash, Nobel laureate in 1994, is a prominent example.

    Gamification is also a term we hear increasingly often. It involves using techniques specific to games in various fields, from corporate culture, to education, sports, and more.

    Let’s discuss all of this on May 13th with our special guest, Mihnea Spiridon, gamer and 11th grade student at “B. P. Hasdeu” high school in Buzău.

  • The sky, the Skies have always fascinated mankind with their mystical, philosophical, then scientific marvels. In the last few centuries, the evolution of spatial research has been more and more fascinating. From the law of universal attraction by Isaac Newton to theories about planetary movement with Johannes Kepler, all the way to space missions and telescopes such as Hubble and James Webb, they all brought as much clarity as further mysteries.

    On April 22nd 2023, from 18.30 (UTC+2), join our discussion with physicist Dr. Claudiu Tănăselia, author and owner of the website parsec.ro through which he brings the latest updates on space missions.

  • Symmetry is everywhere: in art works, in biology, in physics and chemistry, and of course, in mathematics.

    We step towards the understanding of symmetry with Richard Feynman’s belief that the scientist does not diminish, but augment one’s understanding of the beauty of nature, through their equations and laws.

    What does symmetry even mean? Does it have different meanings for mathematicians than for physicists? What do philosophers make of symmetry? And foremost, how did it start?

    Join our discussion, presented by Dr. Adrian Manea, on April 1st, 2023, on Microsoft Teams.

  • If you’ve ever played Football Manager or followed any analytics show, you definitely saw and even manipulated numbers, indices, performance metrics, all of which are meant to monitor performance and evolution.

    From such a diverse set, how can we choose the most relevant? And even before that, what do they even mean? How can we make sense of them?

    These are the starting points in our discussion with Daniel Sandu, head scount & recruitment at FC Rapid 1923 Bucharest.

    Join us on March 18, 2023, from 19.00 (UTC+2) on our Discord server.

  • Science-infused vocabulary is not just for study or research materials. We often use words which have an etymology that relates them closely to mathematics, physics, biology, or engineering.

    Sounds surprising? Have you ever used words or idioms such as “things adding up”, “going off on a tangent”, “starting from square one”? If yes, then you may already know what we mean.

    We are honored to host this event with our guest, Prof. Monica Ionescu, English language teacher at the “B. P. Hasdeu” College in Buzău and debate coach, member of the Romanian Association for Debates and Rhetoric.

    The event will take place on February 25, 2023, from 18.30 (UTC+2) on our Discord Server.

  • Our guest, Dr. Marius Paraschiv, physicist, and ML researcher will provide an introduction to the theory and main problems of quantum computing.

    The discussion will be introductory, so don’t worry, there is no need of physics or programming preliminaries.

    The event will take place on February 4, 2023, at 18.30 (UTC+2) on our Discord server.

  • We are thrilled to announce the first event that we will be hosting.
    January 14, 2023, starting with 18.30 (UTC+2), hosted by our Discord server.

    We are fascinated by the historical development of scientific ideas and peoples and we are convinced that we have so much to learn from our ancestors.

    That being said, who would be more suitable to talk to than an archaeologist and historian? The intersection of archaeology with mathematics, as well as the material proofs of arithmetic and astronomy knowledge of the ancients will be the main topics of our event.

    Also, perhaps surprisingly, you will find how differential equations, Bayesian models, graph theory and geometry are used in archaeological studies, not to mention statistics and probability theory, as well as nuclear physics.

    Our guest is Dr. Cosmin Moise, archaeologist and historian. He will speak about the subtleties of ancient structures such as Sarmisegetusa, Stonehenge, the Parma Baptistery, the Odry complex and more, all exhibiting elements of astronomical knowledge that the peoples of those times and places knew.