March 14 is already known as Pi Day and is celebrated in many countries worldwide. It is named after the important number π, the ratio between the circumference and diameter of a circle, and approximately equal to 3.14. The International Day of Mathematics (IDM) celebration expands Pi Day to include the whole spectrum of mathematics. Mathematical language and reasoning are accessible to everyone. This year, the IDM will be held under the theme “Mathematics for Everyone”.
IDM 2023 is celebrated on all continents, and new countries are joining this year: Curaçao, Haiti, and Fiji. All over the world, people are organizing festivities, and teachers celebrate in the classroom, for instance, by playing Towers of Hanoi and Stockmeyer. Celebrations take many forms: national and local competitions, conferences, exhibitions, and talks organized by mathematical societies, research institutes, museums, schools, universities, etc.
The special feature of IDM 2023 is the Comic Challenge. Over 1700 individuals, schools, and organizations have sent a comic to illustrate this year’s theme, “Mathematics for Everyone”. The comics will be made available on March 14 and remain in a public gallery to all under a free and open license.
French workshops for primary and secondary mathematics teachers from Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have accompanied the IDM this year. It is part of a special series of online teacher trainings supported by the Simons Foundation to further engage with Africa and Latin America and to expand the network for local IDM celebrations.
The IDM website is the main hub for the International Day of Mathematics:
It hosts information material to be used by press and organizers (including logos and flyers in different languages) and proposals for activities related to the theme for everyone interested in hosting an event. All the official material provided through the website is under an open license, which means it can be freely shared, translated, and adapted