Get thee to a nunnery… and study math
Sisterhood of Mathematics My grade 11 Physics teacher was a nun. Thinking back, she reminded me of the famed mathematician Emmy Noether: she was big framed, wore simple clothes (no habit in class, however), and didn’t wear make-up. I think my classmates were frightened of her, but I wasn’t and she liked me. Maybe we were kindred spirits: my passion for…
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…
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…