Linear algebra

Prof. John Urschel speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Andrew Beaton about how he called an audible and pivoted from the NFL to a career in mathematics, delving into his time playing for the Baltimore Ravens, his graduate studies at MIT and the publication of his latest research, which proves a decades-old mathematical conjecture. “I feel like I bet on myself in a big way,” Urschel says. “I’m living my best life right now.” 

Prof. John Urschel found that the Gaussian elimination algorithm, used to calculate shared solutions to a group of equations, specifically linear equations, is close to 100 percent reliable, writes reporter Miriam Waldvogel for The Washington Post. “It just seems so interesting that the most fundamental algorithm we have in the field, we do not fully understand,” says Urschel. “I really love this question of why versus how, and this idea of understanding what’s going on.” Remarking on his previous career as an NFL player, he shares: “If a student thinks that’s cool and [it] gets them to come take my class, and they learn a lot of cool, numerical math, that sounds great to me.”

Prof. John Urschel – a former offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens – joined Edgar B. Herwick III, host of GBH’s newest show, The Curiosity Desk, to talk about his love of his family, linear algebra, and football. On how he eventually chose math over football, Urschel quips: “Well, I hate to break it to you, I like math better… let me tell you, when I started my PhD at MIT, I just fell in love with the place. I fell in love with this idea of being in this environment [where] everyone loves math, everyone wants to learn. I was just constantly excited every day showing up.”

Prof. Gilbert Strang received a standing ovation after delivering his last lecture after over 60 years of teaching at MIT, reports Saleen Martin for USA Today. “Teaching has been a wonderful life,” wrote Strang in the comments section of his last lecture on YouTube. “I am so grateful to everyone who likes linear algebra and sees its importance. So many universities (and even high schools) now appreciate how beautiful it is and how valuable it is. That movement will continue because it is right.”

Boston.com reporter Eli Curwin spotlights how after 63 years of teaching and over 10 million views of his online lectures, MIT Prof. Gilbert Strang received a standing ovation after delivering his last lecture. Prof. Michel X. Goemans, head of the Department of Mathematics, notes that Strang “has had a tremendous impact on the teaching of mathematics to tens of thousands of students at MIT through his lectures, to countless of students at other academic institutions through his textbooks, and to millions of people all over the globe.”