Report of the Seminar on “Applications of computer Aided Systems to Mathematics Teaching” Organized by Sathaye College, Vile Parle(E) on 13^th & 14^th January 2006. 

      A Seminar on “Applications of computer Aided Systems to Mathematics Teaching” was organized jointly by Sathaye College and Bombay Mathematics Colloquium on 13^th and 14^th January 2006 at Sathaye College. 22 Participants from 16 colleges participated in the seminar. The aim of the seminar was to show how computer-based system is crucial for attacking many mathematical problems, which literally cannot be solved by pencil and paper methods. In many cases problems which would take years to solve can be reduced to seconds by powerful computers. No wonder that educationists are also finding computer as one of the effective tools to impart knowledge to students. Its visualisation effect (2D and 3D figures and animation) is much more than the traditional blackboard teaching. Keeping both research and teaching in mind this seminar was designed with an attempt to introduce the Mathematical software’s to the participants.  

      Dr. Alka Irani, Senior Research Scientist, C-DAC Mumbai was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session. She stated that a country’s progress is measured by its Human Development Index and in order to elevate this Index people especially teachers need to devote more time to intellectual pursuits. For this she recommended "Make computer your friend so you will have more time for such intellectual pursuits Computer has freed us from the limitations of space and time and so is an enabling tool for better education” Teachers who play a pivotal role in societal development need to first empower themselves with this new dynamic flexible medium called Computer. 

      Dr. Alka Irani also delivered the keynote address at the first session The Fascinating World of Computers. According to her Computer is a gift of mathematics to the world and now computers can be a gift to mathematicians. The purpose of her presentation was to show how teaching mathematics can be made effective using softwares like GNU LINUX in open source which are freely available and also affordable. She inspired the participants to use packages like singular and maxima. She appealed to the teacher participants to be e-content providers in their own fields of expertise. She insisted on working together so that for future generations education will be “fun”.  Her assistants from janabhaarati team Sheetal Nepte, Priti Patil and Siji Sunny made presentations regarding new mathematics softwares. 

      An interesting lecture on Mathematics in the age of Computers: Old Wine in New Bottle was delivered by Professor Abhiram Ranade from Department of Computer Science and Engineering IIT, Mumbai. He insisted that changes in traditional mathematics curricula, caused by computational concern, should be welcomed only if they keep intact the basic spirit of mathematics. He also specified that the question of how to compute being ultimately mathematical, focusing on such question will increase the motivational level of many students and will also provide a deeper maturity. 

      Mr. Sandeep Deshmukh, Ph.D. student at Department of Computer Science and Engineering IIT, Mumbai lectured on Protein structure comparison by geometric techniques. The talk introduced proteins and their geometry. A novel solution was proposed for the problem of understanding the specific reactivity of proteins and relating it to the geometric arrangements of the molecules which constitute the protein. 

      The session by Dr. Ajit Kumar, from Institute of chemical Technology, Mumbai was on Solving Ordinary differential equation (ODE) using MuPAD and Writing Procedures in MuPAD. The first part of the lecture focused on solutions of an ordinary differential equation (ODE) using MuPAD including the Initial Value Problems (IVP). The second part dealt with “How to write a procedure in MuPAD. He explained; by taking samples from optimization problems how a step by step solution of problem can be put together to make a program or a procedure in MuPAD. 

      Lecture on Use of graphical software in teaching of mathematics was delivered by Dr. Rajendra Pawale, Head of the Department of Mathematics, Sathaye College, and Vile Parle (E). It dealt with use of graphical softwaes in the following are using JKGRAPH and Win plot:-

1. Riemann Integration
2. Finding root of a function y=f(x) by Newton’s and Bisection method.  
3. Point wise and uniform convergence of sequence of continuous functions on closed interval.
4. 3D graph of equations.
5. Some animations in 2D and 3D.

      The use of Mathematical Software in Commutative Algebra was the topic of the talk by Prof. Selby Jose, from I.Y. College Mumbai. He introduced commutative Algebra via theoretical and computational approach and recommends use of computer Algebra System “Singular” for polynomial computations. 

 Along with enlightening lectures by eminent speakers lab sessions were organized on both the days which gave the participants hands-on experience of using the new Mathematics software’s. Live LINUX CD, prepared by C-DAC Janabhaarati team was also given to all participants.  

The Chief Guest at the Valedictory session was Prof. S. B. Patil, Dean, faculty of Science, University of Mumbai. He congratulated the organisers for arranging a seminar on such a happening topic and sincerely felt that not just the teachers of mathematics; but the teachers of all science subjects should make use of computers making their teaching more interesting. The Chief Guest, gave certificates to all participants Three participants also expressed their views on the seminar at the Valedictory Session.

The Seminar on “Applications of computer Aided Systems to Mathematics Teaching” Organized by Sathaye College,

Vile-Parle(E) on 13^th & 14^th January 2006 

Report of Inaugural Speech by Dr. Alka Irani

 
In her inaugural session she spoke on how Computers revolutionized the field of education all over the globe. Today there is no field untouched by Computers. Earlier information was available only in textual form. However expressing ideas and concepts in this form required transformation from the real world to the `world of words' which means capacity to visualize many things which may not be possible for everybody especially in the field of Mathematics. 

This is said was one of the many reasons students fear Mathematics. Moving from paper or blackboard to electronic medium offers unprecedented potential for structuring and visualizing of textual/graphical information. This she said could change the entire scenario from ‘Fear to Fascination’. Unless there is fascination there cannot be motivation she reiterated. 

She reminded the gathering of Mathematicians that Computer is a gift of mathematics to the world and now computers can be a gift to mathematicians. Mathematics teaching can be revolutionized with help of this new, dynamic, flexible medium called computer.  Now, especially when Computers is affordable as a teaching device it is high time the Mathematics community instrumental in bringing this revolution  should start making class room teaching more interesting.  

She concluded the session by urging the teaching community to use Computers as an effective teaching aid as it frees all from limitation of space time. There is a gold mine of open source of knowledge and information which makes it affordable. She appealed the community to be e-content providers in their field of expertise come together as a group and share knowledge. 

Creative people she said use all available resources in the best possible way and Mathematicians with no dearth of creativity will make this revolution of computer medium possible one day.