Round Square Collaboration Birla Public school, Pilani
On 29th April 2022, Birla Public School, Pilani, hosted a Round Square Collaboration – ‘MATHEMENTS: How Math is involved in the construction of monuments?’ Delegates from 22 schools with around 150 delegates across grades 6 - 8 participated in the event, including a six-student delegation from Dhirubhai Ambani International School. The goal of the event was to identify the concepts of mathematics used in ancient and modern monuments. The session included two keynote speeches, baraza sessions and presentations by each participating school.
Prior to the main event, all schools had to send their ‘Pre-Task’ – shared in the form of a PPT, to understand the application of math in monuments. DAIS delegates chose to explore one of the most popular forts in Maharashtra - the majestic fort of Raigad, known for its historical significance and the rich culture of the Marathas. They learnt about strategic location of the Raigad fort, nested on a steep vertical rock face, with a layout that makes it almost impossible to enter the fort through the surrounding rocky terrain making it one of the safest places in the Maharaj Shivaji’s kingdom.
The two keynote speakers of the event, Mr. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai and Ms. Preety Tripathi, inspired the delegates to delve deeper into the world of Mathematics while helping the delegates get an advanced view on the theme of the event. The keynote speakers connected Indian history and monuments with mathematics in creative ways.
For the main meeting, every school was allocated three different regions, to choose a monument from each region and explore the Math related to that structure. DAIS delegates were allocated Delhi, Germany, and Russia and they made their presentations on Jantar Mantar from Delhi in India; Glory of Soviet Science from Voronezh, Russia; and the Allianz Arena of Munich, Germany.
It was a rare and wonderful experience for the DAIS delegates to reflect on the use of math in around 60 different monuments around the world which were presented by the other participating school delegations. These enabled the delegates gain a unique perspective on how medieval humans used mathematics extensively in the monuments they built. They were provided an insight on the use of complicated mathematical and architectural equations like the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence which were often used extensively in the most famous monuments known today.
‘MATHEMENTS’ helped the DAIS delegates identifying so many more monuments around the world as they wondered on the connection of mathematics seen in each one. As quoted by the participants, “Everything we have learned today will certainly help us later in life, especially in careers choices that include different aspects of mathematics, as well as aesthetics”.
Our Reflections:
MATHEMENTS was an excellent opportunity for me to interact with other schools. – Kavya Mangal.
I loved meeting new people. Preparing for the event was even more fun. – Iknoor Gill.
This event made me look at Math in a new way. – Neil Agarwal.
I got to learn about the hidden Mathematics in Architecture! – Shourya Thakkar
I learned about other cultures and monuments and even developed my public speaking skills. – Sohrab Daver.
I got to listen to people’s perspectives on Mathematics. – Samay Gulzar Sandhu.
DAIS Student Delegates: Sohrab Daver, Neil Agrawal, Samay Gulzar Sandhu, Iknoor Gill and Kavya Mangal.
DAIS Teacher Delegates: Ms. Bharathi Shinde