3 ms·
> An interesting article, especially given the links to the YouTube interview of Cornelius Lánczos. I've used the Lánczos algorithm for years for interpolation
by adonovan 1y ago
> An interesting article, especially given the links to the YouTube interview of Cornelius Lánczos. I've used the Lánczos algorithm for years for interpolation but until now I'd not put a face and voice to his work.
Indeed. What a fascinating and delightful memoir of a life in science! (I am envious of his ability to extemporize so flawlessly, in English, no less, which he says he acquired quite deliberately only after 1931, at age 38.)
- hilbert42 1y agoYeah, absolutely. Remember, Lánczos was one of those amazing Hungarian "Martians" whose intelligence seemed to defy all logic and reasoning. I had a Hungarian physicist friend who unfortunately is now deceased who I used to rib over the brilliance of these Hungarian scientists. I'd ask him "what's in the water over there, what magic potion were they on?" and he'd just shrug his shoulders and say something like "I think it's the education system". I can't say I was fully satisfied with his answers (although as I've just learned from the video on his life, Lánczos himself adds support for Hungary's strong education system). When one lists the many remarkable achievements of these exceptionally gifted individuals it really does seem they're aliens from another world: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martians_(scientists) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martians_(scientists) :-)