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This is only loosely related, but reading this brings back a wonderful memory. At Hampshire College in the early 90's, I took a "Math Concentrators' Seminar" w

by pinko 7y ago

This is only loosely related, but reading this brings back a wonderful memory. At Hampshire College in the early 90's, I took a "Math Concentrators' Seminar" which was really a free-form math club with free pizza one evening a week run by an offbeat, charismatic professor whose name I forget [edit: David Kelly[1]]. I wasn't focused on math at the time and didn't have anywhere near the foundation I should have for the class, but the professor was happy to have me. We spent hours just informally batting around diverse, fun math concepts, and one of the topics I remember best was all the fun and counter-intuitive properties of infinite series like this. In any case, this paper is really a treat. Thank you OP. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_(mathematician) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_(mathematician)

pinko 7y ago
FWIW, thanks to DDG and a spammy PDF doc site ("yumpu"?), I found the old course description: NS 322 MATH CONCENTRATORS' SEMINAR David Kelly This weekly gathering of students interested in mathematics and its applications will include lectures by Hampshire faculty and guests. presentations by Division III students. films, workshops. problem-solving sessions, puzzles, games. paradoxes. history, and philosophy. The seminar provides an opportunity for students to get to know each other and gain exposure to many active areas of mathematics. This class will meet once a week for two hours.
- Darkphibre 7y ago
  What an amazing professor. THIS is how you instill fascination with a subject, by making it quite approachable. Thanks for sharing your story! :)
  - schoen 7y ago
    Kelly also started an annual summer program, along similar lines, for high school students. https://hcssim.org/ https://hcssim.org/ It's still running after almost half a century (with Kelly still in charge!). I got to attend almost 30 years ago (wait, how has it been that long already?).
hellobonjour 7y ago
test

by pinko 7y ago

pinko 7y ago

FWIW, thanks to DDG and a spammy PDF doc site ("yumpu"?), I found the old course description: NS 322 MATH CONCENTRATORS' SEMINAR David Kelly This weekly gathering of students interested in mathematics and its applications will include lectures by Hampshire faculty and guests. presentations by Division III students. films, workshops. problem-solving sessions, puzzles, games. paradoxes. history, and philosophy. The seminar provides an opportunity for students to get to know each other and gain exposure to many active areas of mathematics. This class will meet once a week for two hours.

Darkphibre 7y ago
What an amazing professor. THIS is how you instill fascination with a subject, by making it quite approachable. Thanks for sharing your story! :)
- schoen 7y ago
  Kelly also started an annual summer program, along similar lines, for high school students. https://hcssim.org/ https://hcssim.org/ It's still running after almost half a century (with Kelly still in charge!). I got to attend almost 30 years ago (wait, how has it been that long already?).

hellobonjour 7y ago

test