I suppose I should start with who I am and what I do and perhaps why I am here in front of you. But I’m not going to do that, at least not yet. I don’t want to stand here and list all my accomplishments so that you may be impressed and that would convinceContinue reading “My Speech to 500 Australian Teenage Schoolboys About Mathematics”
Category Archives: Math
New papers dance!
Two new papers were recently posted on the arXiv with my first two official PhD students since becoming a faculty member! The earlier paper is titled Efficient online quantum state estimation using a matrix-exponentiated gradient method by Akram Youssry and the more recent paper is Minimax quantum state estimation under Bregman divergence by Maria Quadeer.Continue reading “New papers dance!”
One is the loneliest prime number
You can’t prove 1 is, or is not, prime. You have the freedom to choose whether to include 1 as a prime or not and this choice is either guided by convenience or credulity.
Why are there so many symbols in math?
“Mathematics is the language of the universe.” — every science popularizer ever
Daily activities to promote mathematical fluency in kids
An outline of a day in my life of practicing mathematical literacy. These are activities I do with all my children, ages 0, 3, 5 and 7.
What does it mean to excel at math?
“In mathematics you don’t understand things. You just get used to them.” ― John von Neumann
The power of simulation: birthday paradox
The birthday paradox goes… in a room of 23 people there is a 50-50 chance that two of them share a birthday. OK, so the first step in introducing a paradox is to explain why it is a paradox in the first place. One might think that for each person, there is 1/365 chance ofContinue reading “The power of simulation: birthday paradox”
