mysteries. why have the seekers of knowledge been attracted to mathematics from time immemorial? i feel the primary charm of mathematics is that it is both interesting and, if you can crack its intricacies, enjoyable. people like its challenge, its clarity, and the fact that in solving problems of mathematics you know when you are right. the study of mathematics can satisfy a wide range of interests and abilities. it helps develop one ’ s imagination and aids in building a clear and logical thought process. 6. let me share with you an example to illustrate the charm of mathematics. it is a well - known story about ramanujan and his mentor, another famous mathematician, prof. g. h. hardy, who recognized his immense talent and took him to england. at one point of time, ramanujan was unwell and lying in an england hospital where hardy had gone to visit him. hardy told him that he came in a taxi, the number plate of which had a most uninteresting number 1729. ramanujan was very quick in his reply. he said it was one of the most interesting numbers that one came across. it is the smallest positive integer, which can be written as the sum of two cubes in two different ways, viz., ( 12 ) 3 + ( 1 ) 3 and ( 10 ) 3 + ( 9 ) 3. 7. prof. c. r. rao, one of the most outstanding mathematicians in the world, once said, “ all sciences are, in the abstract, mathematics ”, which aptly captures the immense contribution of mathematics towards the development of other sciences. perhaps, recognizing this centuries ago, gauss termed mathematics as the “ queen of all sciences ”. why study mathematics? 8. just type the words “ why study mathematics ” in a google search and you will get around 67 million results – these many people, institutes or articles trying to see the benefits of studying mathematics. study of mathematics is extremely important for many reasons. maths surrounds us in many ways as we go about our everyday life. let me now tell you why you should study mathematics : a. mathematics makes life simple by quantification. numbers, units and dimensions help in comprehending things better and lead to precision and certainty in measurement and expression. b. it helps formulate as well as establish measurement standards in respect of observable phenomena. 9. take some simple examples : bis central bankers ’ speeches a. “ ajay is tall

ben s bernanke : semiannual monetary policy report to the congress speech by mr ben s bernanke, chairman of the board of governors of the federal reserve system, before the committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs, us senate, washington dc, 26 february 2013. * * * chairman johnson, ranking member crapo, and other members of the committee, i am pleased to present the federal reserve ’ s semiannual monetary policy report. i will begin with a short summary of current economic conditions and then discuss aspects of monetary and fiscal policy. current economic conditions since i last reported to this committee in mid - 2012, economic activity in the united states has continued to expand at a moderate if somewhat uneven pace. in particular, real gross domestic product ( gdp ) is estimated to have risen at an annual rate of about 3 percent in the third quarter but to have been essentially flat in the fourth quarter. 1 the pause in real gdp growth last quarter does not appear to reflect a stalling - out of the recovery. rather, economic activity was temporarily restrained by weather - related disruptions and by transitory declines in a few volatile categories of spending, even as demand by u. s. households and businesses continued to expand. available information suggests that economic growth has picked up again this year. consistent with the moderate pace of economic growth, conditions in the labor market have been improving gradually. since july, nonfarm payroll employment has increased by 175, 000 jobs per month on average, and the unemployment rate declined 0. 3 percentage point to 7. 9 percent over the same period. cumulatively, private - sector payrolls have now grown by about 6. 1 million jobs since their low point in early 2010, and the unemployment rate has fallen a bit more than 2 percentage points since its cyclical peak in late 2009. despite these gains, however, the job market remains generally weak, with the unemployment rate well above its longer - run normal level. about 4. 7 million of the unemployed have been without a job for six months or more, and millions more would like full - time employment but are able to find only part - time work. high unemployment has substantial costs, including not only the hardship faced by the unemployed and their families, but also the harm done to the vitality and productive potential of our economy as a whole. lengthy periods of unemployment and underemployment can erode workers'skills and attachment to the labor force or prevent young people from gaining