BCAM Naukas Pi Day returns with its seventh edition

• BCAM, the Naukas science communication platform, and the Chair of Scientific Culture at the University of the Basque Country are joining forces once again to celebrate the seventh edition of BCAM Naukas Pi Day.  
• It will take place on Friday, March 13, at Bizkaia Aretoa – EHU, in Bilbao
• On behalf of BCAM, Tomás Teijeiro (BCAM Researcher and Ramón y Cajal Fellow in Mathematical Design, Modeling, and Simulations) and Irene Gonzalvez (Postdoc Fellow in Harmonic Analysis) will each give a monologue.

The fascination that the number π has sparked for centuries is such that it has been studied for more than 4,000 years and even has its own day on the calendar: March 14. The way March 14 is written in English and Basque matches the first three digits of the famous mathematical constant: 3-14 (martxoaren 14 in Basque / March 14 in English).

The number Pi, represented by the Greek letter π, is one of the most famous and important mathematical constants in the world. The international celebration of Pi Day was initiated by the American physicist Larry Shaw, who proposed commemorating this date in 1988. In recent years, the observance of Pi Day has continued to grow, to the point that on November 26, 2019, UNESCO proclaimed March 14 as the International Day of Mathematics.

Once again BCAM, the science communication platform Naukas, and the Chair of Scientific Culture of the University of the Basque Country are joining the celebration by organizing the seventh edition of the BCAM Naukas Pi Day event, which will take place on Friday, March 13, at Bizkaia Aretoa – EHU in Bilbao.

BCAM Naukas Pi Day 2026 will feature mathematical workshops in the morning aimed at bringing mathematics closer to Primary and Secondary school students in a fun and engaging way. In the afternoon, the celebration will continue with dynamic and accessible 15-minute scientific talks held in the Mitxelena auditorium at Bizkaia Aretoa, where we will explore the properties and applications of the number pi in everyday life.

2026 Program

9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Mathematical Workshops

Workshops for students in the final years of Primary Education and for Secondary Education students. Their aim is to bring mathematics closer to young people in a playful and attractive way, seeking to spark their interest in this science.

Primary – 5th and 6th grades

• Mathematical origami (in Basque) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

• Hands-on Mathematics: a fractal approach (in Basque) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

Secondary – 1st and 2nd year (ESO)

• Giant Games (in Spanish) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

• Math Mystery Box (in Basque) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

• Flexagons: many-faced papers (in Spanish) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

• The Perfect Museum Challenge (in Spanish) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

Secondary – 3rd and 4th year (ESO)

• Statwars (in Basque) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10

• The Secrets of the ID Card (in Basque) – Sessions: 09:30–10:30 | 10:50–11:50 | 12:10–13:10
  (*Participants in this workshop must bring a national ID card (DNI) or a photocopy printed on both sides.)

The workshops are free of charge with a maximum capacity of 35 participants. Each educational center may register for a maximum of two workshops. Prior registration is required by sending an email to kzk.ehu@gmail.com.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Short Talks

Short, dynamic, and engaging 15-minute talks will be held in the Mitxelena auditorium at Bizkaia Aretoa – EHU (Bilbao). These talks aim to showcase the fascinating nature of mathematics and to highlight, among other topics, the properties and everyday applications of the number Pi.

• 18:30–18:40: Welcome

• 18:40–18:45: Event presentation – Javier Peláez, Naukas.

• 18:45 – 19:00: “¿Qué forma tiene el espacio?” – Irene Gonzálvez, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM).

• 19:00 – 19:15: “El matemático que no sabía contar” – Tomás Teijeiro, Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM).

• 19:15 – 19:30: “Matematika eta euskal dantzak” (Matemáticas y danzas vascas) – Judith Rivas, University of the Basque Country (EHU).

• 19:30 – 19:45: “La carta Madrás” – Pablo Fernández, Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM).

• 19:45 – 20:00: “Cómo optimizamos: lo que una hormiga y tú tenéis en común” – Leticia Hernando, University of the Basque Country (EHU).

• 20:00 – 20:15: “El impostor” – José Antonio Prado Bassas, University of Seville(US).

• 20:15–20:30: Closing of the BCAM Naukas event – Javier Peláez, Naukas.

Admission to the talks is free until full capacity is reached. Those unable to attend in person will be able to watch all the talks live via streaming on the TikTok channel of the Chair of Scientific Culture of the EHU.