This Date That Year

March 14: Pi Day

I didn't know until I read on Mar 14, that it is celebrated as a Pi day because of 3/14. I, having done my Bachelors in Mathematics, have always been fascinated by this number. I have seen the movie and also read several articles and books on the subject. Movie is very disturbing though.

I just thought I would share it with everyone, since not everyone knows about this day. We celebrate so many days why not this. At least to me it is just a way to celebrate the association with mathematics. It also happens to be Albert Einstein's birthday.

Check this out, you would get all the information about Pi here,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi_day

March 19, 1474: Venice Enacts a Patently Original Idea

First known written law to grant and protect patents.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/dayintech_0319

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Martin Gardner - A Non Mathematician par excellence in Mathematics

I still very vividly remember the place and time when I first heard about this great man. It was 1994 around 9 PM in Goa at my relative's place. My uncle very casually asked me if I knew about Martin Gardner or have read his books. Answer to both his questions was a big NO. He started this topic because I was telling him that I had enrolled in Mathematics Honors for my bachelor's degree. He immediately wrote down some books for me which might be interesting for me to read. He told me that Martin Gardner has written lots about mathematics. I didnot know that I was getting initiated into mathematics in a subtle way. Joining a degree course is one thing but getting addicted to it is another. I always liked mathematics no doubt, but never really ventured into the other side of it. I owe my addiction and passion towards mathematics to my uncle.
I have read lot of books written by Martin Gardner. He is such a genius when it comes to writing about mathematics. He is extremely articulate, clear and also very easy to read. He makes learning about mathematics fun. He could talk about difficult concepts with ease. Fun part is that he is not a trained mathematician. He started writing about mathematics as a regular column for Scientific American and then those were compiled as books. He wrote for almost 25 years. I am a big fan of Martin Gardner's books. I would highly recommend reading his books for anyone who wants to have fun with mathematics.

Highest form of pure thought is in mathematics - Plato