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Abstract

How can we use the well-established Public Awareness of some phenomenon X, i.e. PA(X), to Raise the Public Awareness of the Mathematics of—or within—this X, i.e. RPAM(X)? There are several examples illustrating particular assets for mathematics in this way within such phenomena X. Here we will discus only one phenomenon, which, however, contains a particularly dramatic momentum for arousing awareness among all of us, namely X=wildfires. The mathematics of this and of similar phenomena range—among several other topics—from elementary K–12 studies of ellipses to deep research questions in Finsler geometry. Moreover, in this context RPAM(X) may even save lives!

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Correspondence to Steen Markvorsen .

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Dedicated to Professor Vagn Lundsgaard Hansen on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

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Markvorsen, S. (2012). From PA(X) to RPAM(X). In: Behrends, E., Crato, N., Rodrigues, J. (eds) Raising Public Awareness of Mathematics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25710-0_19

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