Algeria

- New students often hesitate to choose mathematics as a major in their university studies because they see mathematics as a dry subject, far from reality, and perhaps disturbing the minds as well.

On the other hand, we may find students who tend to study mathematics, but their desire may clash with other desires of their family members who tend mostly to medicine, engineering or other disciplines.

These improper judgments regarding mathematics were discussed in a valuable scientific symposium entitled "Mathematics between theory and practice", organized by the "Education Clinic" initiative group on Facebook - which includes more than 82,000 members - on Saturday, August 28 It was conducted by Dr. Ramzi Abdel Aziz and Dr. Yasser Hassan.

The two Tunisian mathematicians Nader Masmoudi, professor of mathematics at New York University, and Hatem Zaaq, director of research in mathematics at the National Center for Scientific Research at the Sorbonne University in Paris, spoke at this symposium.

Masmoudi shouted

The meeting's guests are among the distinguished Tunisian scientists in the field of mathematics abroad, who are referred to as the most eminent;

Dr. Nader Al-Masmoudi is Professor of Mathematics at New York University and an elected member of the American Society of Arts and Sciences, and Chair of the SITE Center for Research on Stability, Instability, and Dynamic Turbulence.

Al-Masmoudi has published about 160 research papers in pure and applied mathematics, and his research has been cited more than 8,000 times.

In 2015, he began his work as a professor at New York University and participated in several research projects such as "Mathematics Genealogy", and also worked on supervising PhD theses for students at the same university.

In 2017, he was awarded the Ferma Prize, along with his German colleague Simon A. Brindel, for his scientific research excellence in the field of "Fluid Hydromechanics", and he was awarded the Chair of Excellence from the Paris Foundation for Mathematical Sciences during the period 2016-2018.

Nader Al-Masmoudi, the first Arab to win the gold medal in the Math Olympiad in 1992 (communication sites)

As for Prof. Dr. Hatem Zaaq, he is director of research in mathematics at the National Center for Scientific Research at the Sorbonne University, north of Paris, and his research is based on partial differential equations of the type of heat or waves, as well as of the type of "Ginzburg Landau".

He was awarded the Henri Poincare Institute periodical prize, an award issued by the High Council of Integration in France, before he won in 2019 the Tunisian International Prize (Tounsi Du Monde).

He framed more than 10 doctoral theses, and taught at some university institutions, such as the Tunisian School of Technologies from 2002 to 2012, the Sorbonne University north of Paris from 2011 to 2013, as well as at New York University from 1999 to 2001.

He has an academic credit of more than 70 scientific articles in addition to his participation in many research networks, including the "Anflamix" Excellence Laboratory, which takes care of inflammatory diseases, which includes about 20 biology laboratories, in addition to the mathematics laboratory at the Sorbonne University.

Dr. Hatem Zaaq was awarded the "International Tunisian" award in 2019 (communication sites)

Mathematics is the mother of sciences

Contrary to the rule circulated in scientific circles about philosophy, which is said to be the mother of sciences, Dr. Nader Al-Masmoudi believes that mathematics is the mother of sciences because in our world today, this subject has become a partnership between all sciences.

We find it in all disciplines such as physics, programming, biology, geology, artificial intelligence and even in medicine.

From this logic, Al-Masmoudi believes that the students and their parents should change their view of this subject, from which they are often fleeing, even though it has become the key to all sciences.

To change this view, Dr. Al-Masmoudi explains that a passion for mathematics and a fondness for it can change our view of it, as he says about himself, "I would not have succeeded in my career had it not been for my love for it. high school, where I became the first Arab to win this medal, and other achievements I achieved in my career.”

He describes that "the student should also understand that specializing in this subject will lead him to enter other disciplines, as he may find himself doing research in physics, artificial intelligence, or other disciplines that need to be involved in mathematics."

For his part, Dr. Hatem Zaaq said that mathematics is more than a specialty, and it is also a tool that we need in all disciplines, and the manifestations of modernity that we live in today are nothing but a product of this specialty, which has become required even in medicine, where there are applications that help doctors diagnose diseases and prescribe medicines for patients, Mathematics based.

Zaaq added, "I have a Korean student who completed a master's degree on the basis of scientific research on how to use mathematics in biology, after which she was able to establish a startup company in this field."

Parents should encourage their children to participate in (European) sports associations and clubs.

differentiation factors

In order for the student to succeed in the field of mathematics, Dr. Zaaq believes that there are internal factors such as a passion for this material that allows him to look at its beauty, as he said, “Mathematics has beauty that we can see in the folds of nature, as the scientist Galileo Galilei said, who described nature in his book of letters from mathematics because it helps us.” understanding and interpretation of our world.

Hatem Zaaq also called on students' parents to urge their children to study mathematics, especially if they are inclined to it.

Being forced to study another major may have the opposite effect.

As for the external factors, Dr. Zaaq says that students should get involved in clubs and societies that are concerned with developing mental abilities, and participate in national and international competitions such as the Olympics, because this stimulates their abilities and develops their passion for this subject.

For his part, Dr. Al-Masmoudi called on students to think “outside the box,” as he described it, urging them not to be satisfied with the sciences they receive inside the halls, but rather to research and increase outside the academic framework through contact with scientists, clubs and associations that deal with this specialization.

The curriculum, especially at the secondary level, should focus on applied mathematics (Shutterstock)

Does the Arab mind have a problem with mathematics?

Does the Arab mind have a problem with mathematics?

Are many Arab students alienated from mathematics due to their nature, or are there other factors?

This problem was discussed in part of this symposium, during which the two scholars discussed the causes of aversion, whether personal or academic.

According to Al-Masmoudi, Arab universities do not encourage specialization in this field or scientific research in general, and this specialization does not find its way to the ground in our Arab world, unlike what is happening in Western countries.

Dr. Al-Masmoudi explained that the problem is not personal;

Mathematics is still a dry matter for us in our minds, and it has no effect in our daily lives, unlike the case in Western countries that knew how to benefit from this specialization by developing applications for it in the disciplines of artificial intelligence.

As for Dr. Zaaq, he, in turn, stressed the need to focus in the curricula - especially at the secondary level - on applied mathematics.

Because theoretical lessons have become a source of inconvenience to many students and do not motivate them to specialize in them.