India has a long tradition of mathematics, with its contributions often developing ahead of the institutions supporting the subject. From Aryabhata and Brahmagupta to Srinivasa Ramanujan and Harish Chandra, Indian mathematicians have made major contributions to science and mathematics.
Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, is part of this tradition. A Padma Shri awardee and Fellow of the Royal Society, Agrawal is known for his work in theoretical computer science, including the AKS primality test, which provided a deterministic method to determine whether a number is prime.
Today, Agrawal’s interests go beyond the traditional boundaries of computer science. As artificial intelligence changes the way mathematics is studied and practised, he is looking at what mathematical thinking could mean in an era when machines are increasingly capable of reasoning, computation and even generating proofs.
The impact of AI is already being felt in classrooms. Agrawal believes conventional assignments have lost much of their value as a way of testing whether students have understood a subject, as AI tools can now solve many such exercises easily.
“The assignment era has gone,” he said, stressing that educational institutions need to rethink how students learn and how their understanding is assessed.
Agrawal believes the answer is not to oppose AI but to adapt to it. He has called for greater focus on problem-solving, original thinking and other skills that students will need as technology continues to develop.
At IIT Kanpur, his interest also extends to the intersection of mathematics and biosciences. The institute is working on research that brings mathematical techniques into the study of living systems.
In an interview with India Today, Agrawal spoke about his interest in mathematics, the impact of AI on education and the growing connection between mathematics and biology.
Q1. You have spoken about your strong interest in mathematics. What attracted you to the subject and how did it shape your academic journey?
I was always interested in mathematics. I really enjoyed doing mathematics because I like precise things. You can say that something is correct and there is no ambiguity. Mathematics is one area where there is no ambiguity; something is either true or false. There is nothing in between.
That really appealed to me. I enjoyed doing maths. When I came to computer science, I realised there was a part of the subject called theoretical computer science, which is closely connected with mathematics.
So, I started enjoying that as well. I was not a big fan of programming. By my third year, I had realised that I was not going to build a career writing programmes.
The other option was to move towards the mathematical side of computer science and pursue research. That is what I eventually did.
Q2. Several countries are investing in institutions dedicated to mathematics. What approach does India need to take to strengthen mathematics as a discipline?
We need a similar strategy, which is to create institutions. Of course, there are already several. The Lodha Institute is one, but before that there was the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, ICTS in Bengaluru, CMI in Chennai and the Indian Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai.
There are also institutions such as ISI in Kolkata and others that have been focusing on mathematics.
One challenge with many of these institutions is that there is very little training. They have researchers and small PhD programmes, but the transfer of knowledge and training of the younger generation does not happen on a large scale through these experts.
They have very strong experts in different areas, but that training component has been missing. Ideally, what we need are mathematics institutes with a significant training component.
CMI is one institution that is doing this, and we are seeing good results. Its graduates are doing very well today.
I am not sure what the Lodha Institute is planning in terms of its academic programme, but that is what we need.
Existing institutions such as IISc and the IITs can also play a bigger role. They have strong mathematics departments and training programmes.
What is required is to build strength in new areas of mathematics. A lot of that is connected to AI.
Q3. Artificial intelligence is changing how students learn and institutions teach. How do you see AI reshaping education at IITs?
AI is affecting education in several ways. The first is that learning through assignments is pretty much dead. There is almost no point in giving assignments to students because most of them will use an AI model to solve them, and today these models can do a very good job.
So, that is one impact. We have to find alternative ways of making students learn.
The second is the availability of AI tools. This is the positive side of these tools. The availability of powerful AI systems makes it possible to create learning environments that did not exist earlier.
For example, there is a lot of discussion today about AI tools solving major mathematical problems. We can have such tools available for students.
Think of a young person who is interested in mathematics. They can interact with such a tool and quickly build an understanding of a particular area through that interaction.
It becomes a unique, personal learning experience. Unlike a teacher, who is available only at certain times, such a tool can be available whenever the student needs it. This opens up new avenues of learning for people who are interested.
The third aspect is the design side of AI. For example, students can build things much more quickly.
Earlier, if a student wanted to make a device involving mechanical and electronic components, it could be a very tedious process. Even after designing it, manufacturing it could be a nightmare.
Now, once you have a design, manufacturing has become much easier. We have 3D printers, and AI tools can take a design and translate it into a sequence that a 3D printer can use to build the product.
Similarly, on the electronics side, an AI tool can take a design and create a circuit layout that can be printed on a PCB.
So, many things have become easier and faster because of AI. These are some of the ways AI is already affecting education. We have only started seeing its impact, but over the next couple of years, we will see much more.
All institutions will have to adapt to this change.
Q4. With AI, new technologies and fields such as medical sciences increasingly becoming part of academic discussions, how should institutions such as the IITs approach the future of education?
AI is affecting education in several ways. The first is that learning through assignments is pretty much dead. There is little point in giving assignments when students can use AI models to solve them.
So, institutions need to find alternative ways of making students learn.
The second is the availability of AI tools. These powerful tools can create new kinds of learning environments that were not possible earlier.
The third is the design aspect. AI allows students to build and develop things much faster.
Overall, many tasks have become easier and quicker because of AI. We are already seeing the early impact, but there will be much more change over the next few years.
All educational institutions need to adapt to this.