Classified "A" by ANVUR in the fields 11/D1, 11/D2 Scientific in the field 14.
Abstract:
Mathematics is commonly recognized as a fundamental area of development of human civilization. Since ancient times, its progress has been due to practical needs, from trade to state management, just think, for example, of the historical testimonies that have come down to us from the Babylonian cities or the ancient Egyptians. Parallel to the utilitarian aspects, Mathematics has always been considered a necessary object of study for the natural knowledge of man. Thinkers and philosophers dedicated themselves to it. To Plato, geometry was a science useful for understanding the world and giving order and harmony. From Imperial Rome to the Middle Ages, Arithmetic and Geometry were among the seven liberal arts at the basis of education. Today, after centuries of formidable and incessant development of knowledge within Mathematics, it still plays a fundamental role not only as an essential support for modern technology and all applied sciences, but also for the growth of the human soul. It is a challenge of the mind, an exciting gym for those who practice it. Thanks to its universality and democracy, it is a meeting ground for different cultures, a place of intergenerational and interethnic interaction and aggregation. Hereby, we propose a reflection around the awareness of the personal and social added value that Mathematics can provide to the life of the modern citizen, around the possibilities of facilitating such awareness in educational practice, and around a possible renewal of the interaction between professional mathematicians and the rest of the educational community.
