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> In Laci Babai, you have one of the most legendary and fearsome theoretical computer scientists there ever was, and in graph isomorphism, one of the most legen
by Ar-Curunir 10y ago
> In Laci Babai, you have one of the most legendary and fearsome theoretical computer scientists there ever was, and in graph isomorphism, one of the most legendary and fearsome problems,” wrote Scott Aaronson, a theoretical computer scientist at the University of Texas, Austin, in an email. “A year ago, Laci threw an unbelievable knockout punch at [graph isomorphism], and now the problem itself seems to have gotten off the mat and thrown a counterpunch.”
Scott Aaronson is just such a fantastic writer. So impressive.
- jdoliner 10y agoAgreed, this is a fantastic description of one of the true legends of CS. I had the great fortune of having Laci as my algorithms professor. Many great researchers are lousy lecturers, Laci is anything but. He's a captivating lecturer. Listening to him it feel like your brain is moving twice as fast as normal. That's how clearly and quickly he explains concepts.
- ooqr 10y ago"Listening to him it feel like your brain is moving twice as fast as normal. That's how clearly and quickly he explains concepts." Excellent sales pitch. I'm going to listen to some of his lectures next snow day.
- evincarofautumn 10y agoThat’s something I’ve noticed also in Simon Peyton–Jones, and sought to emulate. You feel smarter (and more enthusiastic) just by listening to him.
- long 10y agoI did an internship at Microsoft Research and my desk was down the hall from his office. He would walk down the hall to his office, saying his hellos to everyone with a deep, sincere enthusiasm for life. It brightened the entire floor.
- groovy2shoes 10y agoI was watching a talk of his the other day and thinking "he's old enough to be my dad, but damn, he's cute..." ¬_¬ Throughout my life, I've found that the best lecturers aren't necessarily the smartest or the most credentialed, they're the most apparently passionate and enthusiastic — so much so that their enthusiasm has a tendency to "rub off" on their audiences. Enthusiasm leads to engagement, which leads to attentiveness and self-motivation for learning. Even a mediocre teacher can be a great lecturer, and I've had a few in my lifetime (though unfortunately I can count their number on one hand).
- Angostura 10y agoI absolutely agree. Maths is a blind spot for me, never managed to advance beyound basic algebra, though I appreciate some of the beauty involved. But this explanation managed to convey at least some of the issues in a highly accessible way.