Cornell professor driven to convey beauty of mathematics

Jim Catalano:

Steven Strogatz wants to take the mystery and fear out of math -- and make it fun, even thrilling, in the process.

Whether it's through his New York Times columns, speaking engagements, appearances on National Public Radio's "Radiolab" or his new book "The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity," Strogatz -- the Schurman professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University -- strives to explain how and why mathematics are present in everyday life in a clear and compelling fashion.

Strogatz describes his mission to make mathematical concepts more accessible as "an act of friendship" that "feels very natural to me."

"I find in my daily life -- either with my kids, who are 10 and 12, or my wife, who's not mathematical, or with friends -- when they ask me what I'm working on, I have to find a way to explain," he said. in an interview at his Cornell office last month.

"So I've just always lived my whole professional life trying to communicate with people about what I'm doing and why I like doing it. It's not hard to do, but maybe hard to do well. But I do like trying to do it."

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 22, 2013 2:07 AM
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