Celebrated Irish academic, Professor Colm Mulcahy, distinguished for making maths enjoyable, has received the distinguished honour of the 2024 Maths Week Ireland Award. As a retired professor of mathematics from Spelman College based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Mulcahy’s innovative offerings extend over his 32 year teaching career, where he established a notable impact forging novel teaching tactics, influential written work and his unique ‘mathemagical’ demonstrations. These integrate the joy of puzzles and magic, entailing playing card tricks, earning him the digital nickname ‘CardColm’, utilised during his blogging activities.
Mulcahy’s contributions towards making mathematics accessible and enjoyable for all, especially youngsters, is what makes him a worthy recipient of the award, acknowledge the judges. His significant involvement during Maths Week Ireland, held annually in the middle of October, paved the way for shifting the perception of maths from a difficult to an enjoyable and accessible subject.
He has tirelessly contributed to Maths Week for several years, captivating and amusing scores of youngsters and adults. Mulcahy, a Mathematics graduate from University College Dublin, furthered his studies at Cornell University, USA and successfully completed his doctorate in 1985. He is a celebrated authority within global mathematical circles, with his publication, ‘Mathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects’ and his blogging contributions to the Mathematical Association of America and Scientific American. His puzzles and writings about mathematics have also been featured in publications such as the Guardian and the New York Times.
Moreover, by founding and overseeing the Annals of Irish Mathematics and Mathematicians, Mulcahy has played an indispensable role in archiving and advancing Ireland’s rich mathematical history dating back four centuries.
Accepting the award, Prof Mulcahy expressed, “Receiving this award is a great honour, and I appreciate the recognition greatly.”
Mathematics, which is viewed as a language that elucidates our understanding of the cosmos – stars, sun, moon, planets, and the metaphysical relationship they share with earthly phenomena like calendars and tides – has been rooted in our existence since the dawn of humanity, driven by simple commerce, observation, inquisitiveness and the endless allure of patterns. It deciphers symmetries, odd concurrences, and aids in terrestrial and celestial navigation, providing reliable predictors.
Nowadays, you see mathematics in action virtually everywhere, from aviation, forecasting meteorological phenomena, medicine, every scientific discipline, to finance, insurance and even sports. Contrary to the common misconception of it being strictly calculative, mathematics calls for creativity and original thinking. This is precisely what Maths Week aims to showcase: that maths can be engaging, exciting, practically useful, and far from dry.
Maths, at its core, is about drawing linkages, unravelling puzzles, comprehending how things function and finding enchantment in mundane things. It’s an absolute joy to watch participants of Maths Week – whether they’re in a classroom or on the sidewalks – experiencing a moment of sudden insight or understanding, an ‘Aha!’ moment. This is what makes all the strenuous preparation worthwhile.
As shared by Dr Sheila Donegan from Maths Week Ireland, Colm is a beacon of zest for mathematics. His relentless dedication towards rendering maths relatable and comprehensible sets him apart. His work is fundamentally aligned with the ethos of Maths Week, which champions maths as a thought-provoking and enjoyable precept of life.
Maths Week 2024 saw the robust participation of over half a million students and citizens across the isle. The event is backed by Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland), the Department of Education, the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and AMD, with coordination by Calmast, which is the Stem Engagement Centre at the South-East Technological University.