Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics held an event in front of the Faculty Amphitheater at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 14 March, 2023, on the occasion of March 14 World Pi Day. At the event, the object named “Gömböc”, produced in only a limited number in the world and one of which was given to the EMU Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Mathematics, was presented. EMU Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Özarslan, Vice Dean Assist. Prof.. Dr. Mehmet Bozer, Head of Mathematics Department Prof. Dr. Nazım Mahmudov, faculty academicians, research assistants and students were present at the said event. Cookies prepared in the form of the Pi Number symbol special for World Pi Day were also served at the event. World Pi Day is celebrated on the 14th of March (3rd month) every year all over the world, since the Pi Number starts with 3.14.
“It's Existence Proven with More Than 10 Years of Scientific Research”
Delivering the opening speech of the event, Prof. Dr. Mahmudov talked about the meaning and importance of the day left the stage to EMU Mathematics Department academic staff member Prof. Dr. Benedek Norbert Nagy to provide information about “Gömböc”. Having been proven to exist as a result of more than 10 years of mathematical research, “Gömböc” has a very special shape, Prof. Dr. Nagy noted that the said object is only given to intellectual and interesting places, and added that Hungarian scientists Gabor Domokos and Peter Varkonyi, who are the inventors of the object, gave the object to EMU Mathematics Department because they stated that EMU and Famagusta are scientifically and culturally important. Stating that the unit number of “Gömböc” given to the department was determined as 986 to symbolize the establishment date of EMU and EMU Mathematics Department (1986), Prof. Dr. Nagy added that the object was delivered to them at the end of February 2023.
There Are Less Than 2,000 Copies in the World
Stating that Gömböc is a very interesting and unique object, Prof. Dr. Nagy stated that the first copy of this object, which has less than 2,000 copies in the world, was given to Russian mathematician Vladimir Igorevich Arnold, who asked the first scientific question about whether a minimum of two equilibrium points could exist in a single solid object. He stated that there are copies of this object in the world's most prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard Universities. Stating that the British Royal Family also has five “Gömböc” objects, Prof. Dr. Nagy put forth that when the object is rolled like a dice, it can only stand on only one part of it. After the question and answer session, a video about the "Gömböc" object was screened.
