Abdon Atangana: Who is this Cameroonian who wants to decolonize Mathematics?

He is one of the most famous mathematicians in the world. Abdon Atangana, a specialist in Applied Mathematics, dreams of an Africa that dominates the Sciences.

It was June 19 in Paris. The 37-year-old Cameroonian became the first Unesco-AI Fozan International Prize for the promotion of young scientists in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

It is a biennial prize created by Unesco in 2021, in partnership with the Al-Fozan Foundation of Saudi Arabia. An award which, according to its recipient, “proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Africans can stay in Africa, work hard, move forward and develop their continent without more help from the West”.

Scientific journals are unanimous on one thing: the professor at the Free State University in Bloemfontein, South Africa has made important contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of fractional calculus, fractional differential equations and mathematical modeling.

His theory would solve problems such as the spread of infectious diseases, problems with heat transfer, groundwater flow, and contamination or weather conditions.

Distinctions recognizing his greatness as a mathematician, the native of Elig-Mfomo, a commune in the Center region of Cameroon, is already starting to get used to it. In 2019, he was ranked 2nd best mathematician in the world in the Top 2% of scientists in the world by Stanford University.

He is the first mathematician to obtain the TWAS Mohammad A. Hamdan Prize awarded by the World Academy of Sciences which rewards outstanding mathematical work carried out by a scientist working and living in Africa or the Arab region.

Atangana, who did part of his studies in Cameroon, was in 2017 the most cited mathematician in the world through his scientific work.

In 2019 and 2020 he was included in the Clarivate Web of Science Top 1% Global Scientists list. And the list of recognitions is far from exhaustive.

For one of the authors of Atangana–Baleanu fractional derivatives, one of the most widely used fractional derivatives in Mathematics, these awards and distinctions are proof that “we can have an impact wherever we are”.

“I will stay in Africa, I will put a lot of effort into clearing the way and, with God’s help, I will build a solid foundation for the generation to come,” he told the BBC.

To better understand his words, we must first understand that the professor of applied mathematics Abdon Atangana relentlessly leads a much deeper fight: he wants to decolonize mathematics.

He says he works hard and believes that one day “African children will read books and articles where African mathematicians have introduced several mathematical formulas, which can be used mainly to solve problems in Africa”.

Married to the chemist Enestine Atangana and father of two boys, he thinks it is necessary to review the way science subjects are taught to young Africans.

“One of the biggest weaknesses is the way math is taught in high school, the emphasis is not on applications, but formulas are presented which are sometimes very difficult to understand, which usually discourages the most young people to pursue a career in mathematics”, he laments.

He adds “a footballer, a musician, to name a few are role models in several African countries. Indeed, I am not against that, but you have to understand that mathematics is the backbone of any science, technology and engineering.”

He believes that African governments should do more in promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics) if they really want to change the future of the continent. And that means “providing serious financial support, making things easier for researchers”.