By Luvuyo Mjekula
The Rhodes University’s Mathematics Department held a Pure Mathematics workshop at Eden Grove on Saturday, to showcase some of the research areas in the department.
Twenty-eight students from Rhodes and Nelson Mandela University (NMU), participated.
The purpose of the Rhodes University Pure Mathematics Workshop 2024 was to introduce NMU and Rhodes’ Mathematics students to some of the Pure Mathematics research areas offered in both of the institutions, said Dr Mbekezeli Nxumalo, a lecturer in the Rhodes’ Mathematics Department and co-organiser of the workshop.
“At Rhodes, for instance, we struggle with attracting students to Pure Mathematics, so this was part of solving this problem. There are more students choosing Applied Math than Pure Math,” Nxumalo explained.
He and the other organizers – Thobile Ngcamphalala and Bongamusa Tsabedze – are members of the Rhodes University Topology Group, which Nxumalo started when he joined Rhodes in 2021.
Nxumalo supervises the two Rhodes’ postgraduate students under the field of Topology.
Ngcamphalala is a Master of Science student while Tsabedze is doing an Honour’s project in Topology. “I selected them to expose them to such an opportunity and experience that they will have in their CVs.”
Nxumalo said the project was funded by the London Mathematical Society and the Rhodes University Research Office.
There were 31 students accepted for the workshop, out of 60 who had applied.
On the day of the workshop, 28 attended while the other three were not able to make it.
Nxumalo explained the application process. “We asked students to apply and give their first year Math mark. We received more than 60 applications and we could only accommodate 31 due to funding constraints.
“So, in our selection, we selected people based on a first-come-first-serve basis. We could only afford to transport 15 students from NMU [in Gqeberha], so we only selected 15 from there. The number was distributed evenly among the three different study levels: 2nd years, 3rd years and Honours. At Rhodes we selected 16 students.”
During the workshop, the students were given three different lectures on different areas of Pure Math – Lattice Theory, Graph Theory and Topology.
After all lectures and before lunch, the students took part in an exciting competition and were given a chance to select seven students, per group, to represent each institution in the competition. “I didn’t regulate their selection of the seven students,” Nxumalo assured.
The question paper [for the competition]had three sections covering the lectured topics. The participants were asked to work out the solutions in groups and submit for marking. They were given an hour to do the test.
Afterwards, the lecturers marked and there were four prizes: group with highest mark in Lattice Theory; group with highest mark in Graph Theory; group with highest mark in Topology and group with the highest overall mark.
Rhodes won the Graph Theory award, Topology award and the award for the group with the highest average.
NMU walked away with the Lattice Theory award. Each award was given to each of the seven participating students.
For the group with the highest overall mark, each of the participants received a certificate together with a R900 cash prize.
Grocott’s Mail spoke to some of the students, who shared their experiences in the workshop.
“It was amazing. I feel like we learnt a lot from the three hosts,” said NMU’s Computer Science student, Sisiphosethu Mvuyisa. She said she enjoyed socialising with the other students. “We learnt much – we got more information, more knowledge; but also socially, we got to know other people and how you are in Grahamstown.”
“I enjoyed the experience. I feel like people don’t know the fun of education. You can learn new things outside of school as well,” said Mvuyisa.
Lonwabo Mfazwe, a Rhodes’ Computer Science and Maths Honours’ student and team leader said it had come as a surprise to be elected team leader. “I guess it’s because I am an Honours’ student.”
Mfazwe said he learnt new ideas from the workshop and use these in future.
Meanwhile, NMU’s team leader, Keitumetse Sesing, gave mixed reactions. She enjoyed the experience but complained about Rhodes’ advantage in terms of numbers. “The numbers were not enough for us – we had one Honours student, they had two; we had two third years, they had four. But the overall experience was nice.”
Wrapping up the day’s programme, Dr Nxumalo thanked the students and donors. “What I like about this whole thing is, at the end of the day, it was about just about learning, have some fun. Now we have experience, in case there is a chance again next year, we will know how to approach things.”
He pointed out that NMU has a strong algebra background and this showed in the Lattice Theory while at Rhodes, they did not do much algebra. That was also evident in the workshop, Nxumalo said.
He would push to have the workshop again next year and hoped to involve a third university such as Fort Hare.
“I am happy that we had a successful workshop with just the two universities this time.”
