Fundamano Press Release

On the evening of 4th of November, at the Drostdy Theatre in Stellenbosch, Mathematics was taken to stage in a theatrical production combining conceptual roots of mathematics with music and brilliant performance of university students studying mathematics under various programs, including engineering and science. The production brought together four shows: “Is it really imaginary?”, “Parrot (un)learning”, “Depth of secrets” and “Music vs mathematics”.

The first show, “Is it really imaginary?”, was prepared and presented by a production team brought together by Dr. Sophie Marques, a mathematician in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stellenbosch University, who is the founder and the managing director of the Wisaarkhu online science engagement magazine. The show explored the concept of an imaginary number, which comes into existence by thinking outside the box, and is later understood to be a fundamental component of the physical universe. The performers in the production team for this show were Stellenbosch University students, who delivered an inspiring performance: Victor Bakker, Cayla Botes, Zea de Bruyn, Theo Noboza and Robert Campbell Snedden. The show concluded with a creative musical performance featuring the amazing guitarist, Eugene Booysen. One of the main behind-the-scenes contributors to the show was Dr. Leandro Boonzaaier, a physicist who is an editor of the Wisaarkhu magazine and a freelance mathematical modeler.

The second show, “Parrot (un)learning”, was developed and presented together by Prof. Zurab Janelidze and a team of his former and current students at Stellenbosch University, in a memorable performance: Chad Davies, Chizelle du Toit, Michelle Namachemo, Nina Smit, and Carlyle Stewart. This show touched on the topic of teacher-student confrontation and showcased the best qualities of a mathematics student contrasted with the poorest qualities of a mathematics lecturer. Prof. Zurab Janelidze is a mathematician working in the same Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stellenbosch University; he currently serves as the President of the South African Mathematical Society.

The third show, “Depth of secrets”, was prepared by Dr. Leandro Boonzaaier, Dr. Sophie Marques, and a creative team, led by Elizabeth Mrema, a PhD student of Dr. Sophie Marques. Her team members were: Jade Daniels, Damas Mgani, Brian Muchiri, Tobi David Olabiyi, and Dimby Rabearivony. Their intellectually captivating performance explored basic concepts of cryptography in the setting of interaction between mathematics students outside of the classroom environment.

The last show, “Music vs mathematics”, conceptualized by Prof. Zurab Janelidze, featured a thought-provoking discussion with a celebrated South African composer, Hans Roosenschoon, and a stellar performance of one of his compositions, by Kate Watson, a postgraduate student in music from the University of Pretoria. The discussion was set in an imitation of the Caffé Casanova of Stellenbosch, where an actual waitress from the Caffé, Kim Faans, served the actors on stage with a “Banana Coffee”. 

The production also featured street musicians, Shane and his friend, who, with the accompaniment by Kate Watson, sang the admired Italian song, “O Sole Mio”, receiving an astounding applause from the audience.

This production is only the first in a series, under a project that is part of the official programme of celebrations around the world of the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development. The project is developed by Prof. Zurab Janelidze and fellow members of the South African Mathematical Society and the National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences, including Dr. Sophie Marques from Stellenbosch University and Dr. Charles Msipha from Tshwane University of Technology, in partnership and under the support of the National Institute of Theoretical and Computational Sciences, South African Academy of Sciences and the Department of Science and Innovation.

The name of the production on the 4th of November, “fundamano”, is a word created by Prof. Zurab Janelidze and Dr. Charles Msipha, by a merger of two words “funda” and “amano”, which in the African languages often mean “learn” and “wisdom”, respectively. With the claimed first event of the kind on the planet, bringing mathematics to the stage, the production aimed to convey the wisdom of learning mathematics combined with music and humor. The production was a success, being very well received by the audience that filled the house. We look forward to the next installment, information about which, along with post-production content, can be found at https://conceptualroots.blogspot.com/

The production was filmed by Neil Mellet of Litem Photography and the movies are posted on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@fundamano