The proof no one understands
A proof of the abc conjecture? The abc conjecture is back in the news. Recently, there was yet another conference devoted to the proof of the conjecture claimed by Shinichi Mochizuki. This time, the conference was at the University of Kyoto, which is Mochizuki’s home institution. The meeting was a rare chance for face-to-face engagement with him, as he doesn’t travel…
A life of mathematics and computation: Jon Borwein
There was sad news this week with the passing of Jonathan Borwein on Tuesday, August 2, 2016. Jon was a powerhouse mathematician and computer scientist who leaves behind a rich legacy. As a highly awarded scholar, his academic output was staggering: almost five hundred papers, twenty-eight books, and he supervised dozens of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. His work…
Social networks in novels and films
Networks of characters My latest paper may be of interest to both authors and scientists. Using a mix of social network analysis and artificial intelligence algorithms, our research team analyzed the social networks found in fictional works. In a novel or film, there is social network with the nodes representing characters, and the edges corresponding to co-occurrence:…
You landed an academic job interview. Now what?
You did it! You’ve arrived at an important milestone in your academic life: your first job interview for a tenure-track position. As you prepare, you may be fine tuning your research talk, or prepping your responses to potential questions about teaching large vs small classes. What strategies can make you shine brighter than the rest? How can you differentiate yourself from the…