Use mathematics to solve nation's problems - Lecturer

Accra Dec. 9, GNA - Professor Sitsofe Enyonam Anku, Lecturer in Mathematics at the Ashesi University, Accra on Friday said effective mathematical application to the nation's developmental efforts would lead to efficiency in the solution to her problems.

He said: "If we do not use the principles of mathemati cs, we shall forever remain a developing country and Ghanaians can solve their problems by using mathematics as a base."

Prof Anku was speaking at the launch of a programme dubbed "CS 2007 Time Tabler" a project developed by second year computer science students of Ashesi University as part of their project work aimed at making it easy for Ghanaian schools to develop their school time-table without wasting much time and avoiding the normal crash problems. The software, which could be used at all levels from the primary school to the university, was developed based on the subject, rooms available, information about teachers and number of classes, using basic mathematics principles like the graph theory, sets and the java software.

The CS 2007 class expressed the hope that the project could further be used to develop schedules for seminars, conferences and other programmes where people encountered difficulty in drawing up programmes.

Prof. Anku announced that Ashesi University had a creativity centre where every student was encouraged to be innovative by creating something unique using mathematics. He said that was why the University was moving away from theory to practicality because in this country, "we depend too much on paper qualification but we need to create a system where people will apply theory to practice".

He expressed the school's readiness to give the software to schools for free.

All the same, he called for Government support by providing computers to the schools.

Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan, ICT Advisor to the Ministry of Communications, said it was encouraging for the students to come up with such brilliant ideas and commended them for the project. He pledged the Ministry's continued support to the school's projects.