The Mathematical Society of Chile

Founded in 1982


The Mathematical Society of Chile (Sociedad de Matemática de Chile) (known by the abbreviation SOMACHI) was founded in 1975 when mathematicians met informally but the Society was only formally registered in 1983. When it was registered it had the following mission [1]:-
To contribute to the development in Chile of the practice and promotion of Mathematical Sciences, as well as the dissemination and teaching of Mathematical Sciences.
An overview by the Mathematical Society of Chile is given in the article 'Mathematics in Chile, a half-century of steady development', presented to the International Congress of Mathematicians ICM 2014, held in South Korea. For a version of this article, see THIS LINK.

The Society is open to all mathematicians in Chile, and it consists both of individual members and institutional members such as universities. It is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and three ordinary members.

It has played a major role in promoting the development of the mathematical sciences in Chile, both at the research level and at the level of secondary schools. The Mathematical Society of Chile has promoted the organization of national and international mathematical congresses since its foundation. Currently it organizes its annual meeting in the central zone of the country, and sponsors the annual meetings both in the northern and southern areas. It also organizes an International Symposium every four years, and sponsors the many speciality congresses organized regularly in the country, reflecting the diversity of existing research groups in Chile and their international collaborators.

For a list of topics studied by mathematicians in Chile, see 'Mathematics in Chile, a half-century of steady development' at THIS LINK.

The Mathematical Society of Chile was a founding member of the Mathematical Union of Latin America and the Caribbean. It is a member of the International Mathematical Union and maintains numerous reciprocal agreements with similar societies around the world. It is the Chilean Representative on the International Council for Mathematical Instruction, a section of the International Mathematical Union dedicated to the teaching of mathematics, and on the International Mathematical Olympiad, the Iberoamerican Mathematical Olympiad, the Mathematical Olympiad of the Southern Cone and the Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad, all organizations in charge of international competitions in mathematics. In addition, the Mathematical Society of Chile is associated with the Mathematical Council of the Americas.

The Society has identified several problems regarding the teaching of mathematics in Chile whose solution is crucial for the development of the country. These are:
(i) Improving the quality of the teaching of mathematics at all levels.

(ii) Adapting the teaching of mathematics to diverse audiences.

(iii) Increasing the number of talented students who are interested in directing their studies towards science and mathematics.
The Mathematical Society of Chile has been involved in proposing solutions to these problems since it was founded.

The Society publishes Revista del Profesor de Matemáticas (Mathematics Teacher's Journal) in which scientists and teachers of mathematics exchange knowledge and new ways of teaching. This journal was founded in 1994 with the aim of contributing to the training of teachers, allowing them to maintain a continuing study of mathematics and, above all, to make contributions to lifting their spirits by learning new things that motivate them and so encourage them to enthusiastically convey to their students new ideas and challenges.

Visit the society website.

References (show)

  1. The Mathematical Society of Chile website. http://somachi.cl

Last Updated February 2018