Josep Pla i Carrera, professor emeritus at the University of Barcelona and supernumerary academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 (RAED), has been awarded the Critical Prize Serra d’Or 2017 in the category of Research for the books “Història de la Matemàtica: Egipte i Mesopotàmia” (History of Mathematics: Egypt and Mesopotamia) and “Història de la Matemàtica: Grècia I” (History of Mathematics: Greece I).

Both works are part of an ambitious project that aims to compose a history of ancient mathematics in four volumes -a preliminary one- in Catalan. Each volume consists of two distinct parts: a historical corpus and the translation of classical texts of the period studied. This project, promoted by the Institute of Catalan Studies under the direction of the also RAED’s academician Pilar Bayer, fills a gap in the translation of classic scientific texts in Catalan. Josep Pla emphasizes both the cultural value and the value he has as a tool and teaching criterion: “Every teacher of a discipline, scientific or not, and particularly to those who teach mathematics must know the didactic value from history”.

The awards of the 51st edition of the Serra d’Or Awards have been presented by the abbot of Montserrat, Josep Maria Soler, and the editor of the magazine “Serra d’Or”, Josep Massot.