IIT Bhubaneswar and NISER hosts three day mathematics problem solving camp

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar and NISER are hosting a three day camp for solving mathematics problems. Various mathematicians from IIT Bhubaneswar,NISER and other institutions taught undergrad students from different colleges in Odisha about techniques for solving maths problems.
The three-day camp commenced on Monday, October 15. It was inaugurated by the Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling. The purpose of the camp was to  identify, nurture and prepare a bunch of brilliant mathematicians. The ones while will take lead in educational landscape of the country, including Odisha too.

More than 40 students are selected from 18 districts of the state. Special focus was on the government run colleges in rural areas and backward districts of the state.

Harichandan highlighted the importance of logical analysis and open-mindedness in solving life's problems, as they do in solving mathematics problems. He expressed his delight for this initiative, which is set to provide a platform for young mathematicians of the state to harness their knowledge and skills under the guidance of experts.

Mahaling asked the prestigious institutes like IIT, NISER, and the Institute of Mathematics and Applications to plan such programmes for school students as well. This can nurture the mathematics skills of the children of the state from a very young age.

Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, looked after a session on ‘Problem Solving’, here he taught with examples how general discipline-independent strategies help solve a variety of real-life problems. He stated that the mindset that one needs specialised knowledge from a certain area to solve problems is what prevents people from solving problems.

He further mentioned that communication, collaboration, and critical thinking are the three necessary skills for success in real life.
A team of professors from NISER, IIT Bhubaneswar, and various colleges in Odisha, under the Math-Odisha100 initiative, have been working on transforming the mathematics education at the level of undergrad. It has been organizing various programmes in the past years.