An international summit in Sardinia brought together mathematicians, scholars and innovators to explore a new way of teaching and perceiving mathematics. No longer just calculations and formulas, but a tool for interpreting the world, based on creativity, play and critical thinking, even in the era of Artificial Intelligence.
Mathematics is not just the set of numbers and calculations that is often associated with school memories, but can be fun, creativity and even magic. It is sufficient to look at it from a new perspective, as happened in Cagliari from 28 September to 2 October, during the first Global Math Summitan international event that brought together mathematicians, scholars and entrepreneurs from all over the world. The goal? Rethinking mathematics through creative paths and innovative teaching, to bring it back to the center of contemporary life.
The alphabet of the universe. In an age dominated by technology, from artificial intelligence to digital medicine, almost every aspect of our lives is based on mathematical models. It is no coincidence that Galileo Galilei defined it as “the alphabet with which God wrote the universe”. Yet, many students perceive it as a difficult subject, often due to a teaching approach that favors formulas over deep understanding, the “soul” of the discipline. The problem, which emerged during the summit, would not be mathematics itself, but the way in which it is taught.
Inspired by the figure of the Bolognese mathematician Pietro Cataldi (1552-1626)the initiative aimed to create an interdisciplinary community to renew school curricula, focusing in particular on the crucial transition between arithmetic and algebra. The idea is to integrate the history of mathematics and number theory with the dimension of human flourishing – a concept that embraces well-being, inclusion and creativity – to create more equitable and accessible training courses.
Between “Mathematics” and Soft Skills. The summit program alternated research sessions with practical workshops. During the Open Day, interventions of international importance showed the potential of a different approach. The American mathematician Francis Su spoke about “Mathematical Sciences for Human Flourishing,” while the Sino-U.S Po Shen Loh explored “Creative Mathematical Thinking.”
The intervention was also a great success Art Benjamina “mathemagician” who revolutionized the audience with his “Matemagics”, a presentation in which he revealed the secrets for performing mental calculations faster than a calculator, demonstrating how mathematics can also be entertainment and entertainment.
The advent of Artificial Intelligence, one of the central themes of the meeting, forces us to rethink our skills. If a machine can do the calculations for us, what human skills are truly indispensable? He answers this question Roberta Marcenaro LyonCEO of Imark Impact and organizer of the summit: «The three most important virtues are the creativitybecause if you are creative you try to elevate something that already exists; there passionwhich always remains a great guide to lead you beyond any boundary; and then there kindness.
If, for example, you are a huge nerd, that is, you know and calculate very well, but you don’t have these skills, you still risk not getting a job.”
It’s about those soft skills which, combined with solid preparation, allow you to make a difference in the world of work. “You have to be a good human being to be an excellent worker”, was underlined during the works.
A community for the future. The Global Math Summit was not an isolated event, but the first step towards creating a stable community and a “never-ending conversation”. The initiative aims to transform Sardinia, already a candidate to host the Einstein Telescope, into a scientific hub of reference. Through programs such as “Mathematics at 360°”, we aim to bring mathematical thinking to the center of the strategic decisions of companies and institutions.
In a world of continuous technological evolution, the real surprise of the summit was the rediscovery of a humanistic approach to the science of numbers. There was a lot of talk about philosophy, ideally returning to the great thinkers of the past who had already understood the universality of this language. Because, after all, mathematics is everywhere: “in the sea, in the stars, in geometry, in art, in music, in cooking, in everything”.
