"We've all got an opinion on mathematics whether we're close to the subject or not"

Could you tell us how your citizen consultation initiative came about?
Christophe Besse: In 2022, CNRS Mathematics began a process to generate ideas about the place of mathematics in society. This unprecedented project, the ‘Assises des mathématiques’1 , aimed to take stock of the current situation, pinpoint weak spots and suggest improvements thanks to input from industrialists, researchers from other disciplines, representatives of civil society and political personalities. Now, we'd like to extend this debate to the public as a whole.

Mathematics is actually everywhere and mastering the subject is essential to our lives. It underpins so many of our everyday activities and is vital for us as we evolve in a society as digital and mathematical as ours. Mathematics also has a key role to play in the development of a critical scientific mind because it enables us to analyse numbers and orders of magnitude. It also plays a key innovation role. France is a world leader in mathematics research but paradoxically the teaching and perception of mathematics are still marked by inequalities and its lack of appeal.

That's why CNRS Mathematics is launching a national debate on how to make sure mathematics plays an ambitious role in French society and is accessible for all. The Institute will be running a public consultation process on the place of mathematics in society from March 10th to April 30th 2025 during the Mathematics Week called ‘Aux maths citoyennes, citoyens! Grande consultation nationale’2 .

How will this consultation be organised?
C. B.: There are three main segments:

• An online citizen consultation to find out about citizens' perceptions of mathematics and their wishes as regards the subject (from March 10th to April 30th 2025);
• Citizen workshops organised by anyone who wants to get involved in the process (also from March 10th to April 30th);
• Two citizens' panels (from May to July 2025) to find the right answers to these two questions - how can we improve access to mathematics for everyone and at all stages of life? What mediation tools and locations could help achieve this goal?

We've committed to making the results public at the end of this consultation and informing all our partners, the organisations concerned and the public authorities of the recommendations made by our citizens. This presentation of the findings should take place in autumn 2025.

What are the major issues at stake in this national consultation?
C. B.: Mathematics is a cultural asset and it's essential to share this more effectively. We ought to see it as a strategic lever for our country's future, so to do that we want to give as many people as possible their say through our online consultation and citizen workshops. We've all got an opinion on mathematics whether we're close to the subject or not.

CNRS Mathematics also wants to focus on disparities in access to mathematics throughout people's lives. That's why the two citizens' panels will be made up of people who're likely to be exposed to forms of exclusion linked to mathematics for reasons of gender, social origin or geographical location.

We aim to encourage people to get involved with mathematics and talk about it in public. So, to reach as many people as possible, communications for the consultation campaign intentionally take a humorous tone – "Without maths, your smartphones would be a lot less smart", "Without maths, artificial intelligence would have a really small IQ" - and play on clichés like "Maths is only good for getting bad marks" or "With maths, if you don't get the knack you'll never be the boss."

If this consultation helps us deconstruct stereotypes like that, it'll be even more beneficial! For example, many people think everything there is to know about mathematics has already been discovered but that's not true at all! Maths is a very dynamic science. Every day, the results of recent theorems are used in our everyday lives, in technology and even in the medical world. And that's what we really want to highlight.