A forum for discussion ideas
My answer will include Fields Medal winners as well as Nobel Prize winners because there is no Nobel for mathematics and the Fields Medal is comparable to the Nobel Prize. Nobel Prize in Physics The average age at which a physicist wins the Nobel Prize is 59 years, so many of the recent winners of …
Ravi Vakil, the Robert Grimmett Professor in Mathematics at Stanford University, began his two-year term as President of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) on February 1, 2025. Vakil, a foremost researcher in the field of algebraic geometry has played a strong role in promoting mathematical research as well as mathematical education. You may recognize him …
“Mathematics is at the center of Science & Knowledge.” Read More »
Since antiquity, it has been recognized that most of us increase our intellectual productivity throughout early adulthood, reach a peak in middle age, and decline in mental acuity as we move into old age. However, recent research has revealed that there is a great deal of variation, especially among highly intelligent individuals in their ages …
There are two main reasons why the achievements of our modern mathematical superstars are not as conspicuous as those of the great mathematicians of the past. • In the past two centuries, mathematical discoveries have grown at an exponential rate. • Much mathematical research today is conducted through collaboration, so credit is shared among several …
The most frequently cited qualities associated with highly intelligent individuals are: curiosity, open-mindedness, critical thinking ability, capacity for abstraction, adaptability, etc. However, the key question is, “How do we assess these qualities without access to instruments such as IQ tests?” The human resources people at Microsoft and other companies designed questions to determine the intelligence …
Science has confirmed what people have observed since the Ancient Greek author Homer wrote in 725 BCE: So, the gods don’t hand out all their gifts at once, not build and brains and flowing speech to all. One man may fail to impress us with his looks but a god can crown his words with …
The talents of many of the world’s greatest achievers were manifest early in their childhood years.One of the most famous was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. By the age of five, he was already composing his own music, and by seven, he was performing for royalty across Europe. His genius in music composition and performance was evident …
A very comprehensive answer to this problem was given by the great mathematician Henri Poincaré at the beginning of the 20th century when he described the role of the subconscious in mathematical problem solving. In a speech delivered to the Société de Psychologie in 1908, Poincaré described his unconscious mental activity that exploded in a …
How do intuitive answers manifest in your mind when solving complex problems? Read More »
When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, enrolled in a special course titled, “Mathematics, Physics & Chemistry,” we had some outstanding professors who were also showmen, in the style of Richard Feynman. Every Christmas they would put on a demonstration called “A Christmas Box Lecture.” It was an annual ritual on …
What makes a physics demonstration effective for teaching complex concepts? Read More »
John von Neumann was born on December 28, 1903, in Budapest, Hungary. John (baptized as János) was readily recognized as a child prodigy, possessing an eidetic memory and at age 6 displayed the ability to divide two eight-digit numbers in his head. His family often entertained guests with demonstrations of his prodigious memory. The guests …
How did von Neumann’s perfect memory affect his research and teaching methods? Read More »
