Mathematics and Computer Science : Old Generation Meets the Next Generation of Scientists
After my time as a postdoc at Berkeley and before I left to research in China, I was sent an email from the current chair of my former department (from my graduate school days) advertising a conference on the intersection of mathematics and computer science.
The intent of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum is to honor laureates (Abel Award, Turing Award, and Fields Medalist winners) while at the same time introduce them to the, supposed, next best up-and-coming young mathematicians and computer scientists. I have my doubts as I managed to sneak by their rigorous acceptance committee.
Abel, Turing, and Fields -- Oh My!
For those of you who are not aware, mathematics and computer science do not have a Nobel Prize. Apparently, these disciplines don't pack enough dynamite!
They do, however, have equivalent awards (in status only, not in prize money) that are comparable to the Nobel Prizes.
The laureates had their own envoy of limousines, special head tables, and, in general, were shown the highest honour. Normal conferences have a dinner maybe 1 night of the week, with maybe some other mini-networking for grad students or postdocs with a poster session (or at least in mathematics and computer science), but this conference had dinners every night of the week. I enjoyed the free meals immensely as I had just finished my last position in Beijing and had yet to start the next one in Toronto and was a pauper of a postdoc.
Who'd Ya Meet?
Well, I ran into a few mathematician friends that I knew from previous postdoc experiences and from other conferences. Bernd Sturmfels (who said he had been on the committee evaluating young researchers' applications), Kaie Kubjas (whom I knew from the Simons' Institute), and Tim Marrinan (a mathematics graduate student whose time at Colorado State overlapped with mine).
Although, I wouldn't say seeing them was all that surprising. Meeting the actual laureates was way more interesting!
A few people topped the list that I recall meeting (or seeing again). Fred Brooks, Stephen Cook, Sir Michael Atiyah, Manuel Blum, and Andrew C. Yao.
I will only remark on one of the laureate's talks, namely Fred Brooks'. Brooks' talk was fascinating, although, it went a little overboard on the time. He gave an overview of the role of IBM played in the early computational days. Now, mind you, this conference is before I joined (or even applied to) IBM as a postdoc in High Performance Computing.
Where's Waldo?
Here's an official album on Flickr of the photos taken at the Forum. I'm in at least 3 of them. If you can find me, then I will give you a reward.
My Impressions
Well, I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that I thought that the majority of the conference seemed a little much with a lot of self-congratulations occurring, and the organizers constantly reminding the attendees how amazing they were and that they were the new leaders of their respective disciplines with future laureates assuredly in the audience.
Beyond that, some of the talks were re-hashes of the work that the laureates had done initially to obtain their award. The talks that discussed current research were, on average, the best. Fortunately, the Heidelberg Laureate Foundation recorded all the talks! You can watch them by going here!
Probably, the best part was the business cards the Heidelberg Laureate Foundation provided for networking. I need to bust out those cards and see if I need to contact anyone at some point. As mentioned before, networking (or really, not working) is how this world operates (and not just in academia).
Sight-seeing
No conference can happen without some sight-seeing. Here are some photos (with some quirky commentary, that's probably best ignored).
I swear I don't have long hair anymore. Although, my fiancee (@edgeland) wants me to grow it back out. The beard is less unruly. I don't think I cared so much about my appearance while in China, hence the raggedness. Well, and the inner hippy (yippee!).
Here's a picture of me not too long ago that you can use as a comparison.
We got to tour a famous castle. I'm not exactly sure what one it is. But I remember something about some big-shot Holy Roman Emperor. Crowned (and probably picked) by the pope. I love history, but I can't remember it all!
The countryside outside of Heidelberg is gorgeous!
A menacing statue guarding the building! He might be Ares or someone famous like that. He's not as red as the building, so maybe not!
The inside of a cathedral. An attempt at me being an artist in trying to capture the proper perspective of the architecture. See how the columns on one side line up nearly in the same point in the projection, whereas the columns on the other side approach the vanishing point.
Epic fail ? You be the judge. I think that iPhones cannot do the place true justice.
Yes! I was really there.
Perspective!
Descending into a crypt.
A panoramic. I don't think I knew what I was doing here with that iPhone. I still don't. Stupid smart phones! All these buttons and apps. It is kindof a sleek design. Phones are really not my thing. The technology confuses me to this day.
I think these are the 4 Gospel writers ... but I could be wrong. I often am. I wouldn't believe a word I say (even if it's all true).
I believe this to be the emperor. You can tell how important he is by the length of his beard. The most civilized and advanced societies often use this as a metric in their art to emphasize importance.
Oh good! We made it out of the Church alive. Not many can say they're able to escape its clutches or that you are ever really beyond its reach.
Some interesting art that I thought I would take a photo of, and in turn, make more art! The meta astounds me still.
I believe that the Monkey (the golden hat thingy) is supposed to be guarding the entrance to Heidelberg on this bridge. I don't remember if it's called the Golden Monkey Bridge, but it should have been.
Some different views of the castle!
If you look really closely, you can see me and the castle projected onto the complex plane!
The entrance to Heidelberg.
The exit from Heidelberg.
I'm all about perspective.
So What?
One word was on everyone's mind, and the talk of the entire conference: BLOCKCHAIN. Well, that and the Internet of Things. Possibly how they could be merged together (which I do not believe to be possible under any current consensus model, except potentially The Tangle).
Anyway, the point of this post is that many academics (young and old alike), all around the globe, are very much aware of the potentials of blockchain technology.
The anticipation is killing me...did I get the last one? From my post like 47 minutes ago...it is just the back of your hair: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20817741926/in/album-72157657283543678/
Oh, I just checked to copy and paste the link and think I had the wrong link - maybe that is why you didn't reply...
You find one that I missed!
Last Hint: The last photo (unless someone else found it) is not in any auditorium or a throng of people (I wouldn't begin imagining trying to find me in the group photo!).
ok I am officially starting to feel creepy... but is this you?? Blurry in the background -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20925167306/in/album-72157657283543678/
Totally me in the background. But once more, not the photo I had seen of me!
Haha, sweet! So do I win for finding three or do I have to keep being stalker-like? And if you are counting this as success, then you have to tell me where the other one is!! I am incapable of stopping until I have found it. :)
And I wouldn't say it's necessarily creepy if I tell you to look for me in these photos.
That makes me feel a little better...but staring at that many photos of an event you weren't at for as long as I have all to find 1 person you don't know starts to feel creepy anyway.
There is a story circulating among physicists about why there is no math Nobel prize. ..
Allegedly, Nobel's wife ran away with a mathematician :)
Don't know if that's true, honestly.
As with most anecdotes, there probably is some truth in it. Those mathematicians land the most beautiful of ladies.
I can corroborate! It's almost surely impossible to leave a lady unmoved by a solid proof :-)
dont i love a challenge
oh man! I love scavenger hunts and prizes, but this is hard! You found one....still looking. So it seems as though his beard is halfway in between the first two pictures in here.
its okay. i am here to help lol
The last photo of me is probably the trickiest. You may be able to glean a hint from the pictures that I posted.
Hint: Look for the hair and match the shirt. The face is totally obscure.
This was easier. There are the same people around you.
Not the one I meant. I'm outside! But kudos for finding one I missed!
One final hint. I'm wearing Chacos!
I am late :)
It's because they've already exploded.
You, sir / madam, understand.
http://prntscr.com/c2fcr1
it is exactly you !
In our university, we see the FM as superior to a Nobel Prize. It's the ultimate achievement for mathematicians, and to write a Theorem worthy of the FM is such a big dream that many believe you'd destroy it only by whispering the name of the medal.. :)
Post of the day! Hands down one of the best post I've read here lately!
What an experience man! I'm even judging myself because I'm still chuckling at: "I wouldn't believe a word I say..even if it's all true. :)
For those who live by seeking the way, they will not find the answers they seek.
Rather, do not seek, and the way will find you.
I DID IT!!!! https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20861998682/in/album-72157657283543678/
:) :)
It's funny how nearly every post tagged with "mathematics" is completely devoid of any math.
Sorry to disappoint. :(. I've been working on some new material for the Cryptography 101 classes! Bear with me.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20223031703/in/album-72157657283543678/
Got ya!
Yes about blokchain will soon know the entire planet ! thanks to the hippies like you and me !
I refer you to that image posted for comparison. No hippies there!
@complexring loved this post and thank you for the love on our introduction, we have since our first edition. We are seeking feedback so would love your thoughts on what kind of format, one topic/many topics? Look forward to seeing more from you!
Effortless.
only its real life
There needs to be a survey of bearded computer geeks. Certainly all the ones I can think of - barring Linus "The Tux" Torvalds - have beards that would surely give Disney's version of Merlin a run for their money.
Survey says ... grand idea.
Love Math, Science, and all this stuff! Thanks for sharing & Happy Steeming! :)
The perks of conferences! Love the photos of the castle! and finally see some pictures of you!
Hi Matthew (got that from you name tag, hope you don't mind), those are some awesome pictures of the castle. If a man's stature is gauged by the length of his beard, it looks like you may be the most important of the Steem witnesses.
Not a problem. I made myself publicly known awhile back (you can look back at other posts to find this info, too), so it's fine!
And no comment on my importance. I'm just some random bloke who knows a very small amount of math (comparatively).
History awesome!
Long hair don't care! lol I'd keep them!
Heidelberg looks awesome. Enjoy the moment.
What is the best thing you learn from it? Next article will more detail about it.
The best thing that I learned? The Rank and File of the next generation of computer scientists and mathematicians (as well as the older generations) were all saying how there is so much that can be researched and the applications of blockchain technology.
But, I think they are coming from this viewpoint as academics who see the possibility of researching something abstractly and then using the real-world applications as an example to justify continued State funding.
That is amazing that blockchain is such a big thing. Speaking of academia, there are a few people here with many theories on future technology. One is dana-edwards, and I have a selfish reason for mentioning this, because after reading Dana's work all day I wrote an analysis about it. You're next @complexring.
check out: https://steemit.com/active/dana-edwards
Ok, I did what I said I would. Here is The Best of @Complexring.
5th photo down - you are on the right!
You should link to it!
like this... https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20834455412/in/album-72157657283543678/
?
Is that you way on the right above the guy in the black polo?
And if so, then I think you can see the back of your hair in this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/albums/72157657283543678/with/20834455412/
:) Sorry for the 800 replies...
Yes. That is me (with respect to me being behind the guy in the black polo).
dffghjlkjhg
Great work
👍great post, I agree with the pointed ur article @complexring
Nice to see the face behind the brilliant mind! @complexring grow the hair back lmao it connects to our brain as you may already know. Classic share again Gosh you been places!
“Our hair fashions might be just a trend, but if we investigate, we may find that we have been depriving ourselves of one of the most valuable sources of energy for human vitality.” -Yogi Bhajan
Great post, keep doing more :)
Thanks
I hope you wouldn't believe a word you say lmao, we know what we say. root word for believe LIE root word for knowledge KNOW.
Come again? Por favor. I am lost.
Creer es algo es no saber en que algo . Cuando se sabe que ya no tiene que creer . Me di cuenta de que muchos de su redacción declaró con ; Creo que o tiene alguna forma de la palabra creen en ella . La traducción al español fue en relación a su refutación :) Me gustó mucho tu post , mis comentarios fue en relación a lo que me relacionaba con , lo siento si vinieron fuera clishe .
Yo no se Espanol.
But Google Translate helps.
All is good.
What I meant was that I didn't quite follow about what words you were saying had as their roots.
Believe = lie ?
knowledge = know?
I'm not sure if believe's root is lie.
If I were a betting man, and I am not, I'd hazard a guess to say that it's more of a combination of 'to be' and 'to live' and that I can't believe that I'm alive.
But really, I am almost sure that (what I say above) is not the root of believe (although it'd be nice... ). I'm no etymologist, however.
Maybe in a different universe.
You don't have to believe you're alive:) You're writing and reading, you know you're alive and the roots of those are correct. I think you took my comment wrong.
believe- to accept something as true.
accept- believe or come to recognize (an opinion, explanation, etc.) as valid or correct.
Example : I Know you responded to my last comment, not I believe you responded to my last comment. Knowing is provable, believing is opinionated. I know i'm not as intelligent as you but I believe one-day I may be as intelligent as you. Cheesy example but all good.
I follow (can't reply, no nested comments).
I think my mode of thought, at the time, for the previous comment was something along the lines of how 'to be' is always one of the first verbs you learn in a foreign language and that 'liebe' is life (i.e. related 'to live') in German (first non-English / math language I learned).
Hence, the punniness may have been lost. But that gives you an insight to my psyche and what I was thinking at the time.
Maybe that's not such a good thing ...
Here's the final photo of me!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hlforum/20861998682/in/album-72157657283543678/
Did you see I posted the link to that one - I was so proud...
I missed that you posted it ...
That and failure to refresh ... I had the post ready to go and I kept coming back to see if anyone found it yet and didn't refresh the page before I put it up.
Now, my mistake is forever on the blockchain.
Woe is me.
So apparently you can only reply so many times ... crypto course sounds fun - that was the subject of my senior project in my undergrad. And inwardly I really do hope there are more scavenger hunts - the problem is I get sucked in and then spend way too much time on it.
No problema. Looking forward to your next post, just hoping it's not another scavenger hunt... :)
Scavenger hunts are fun, no?
I hope the next is not a scavenger hunt either. I need to move along with the next post on ze Crypto-101 course!
I might have to do some basic logic and intro to proofs, too.
upvoted
Wow, lots of pictures
Check out http://www.tetryonics.com/
I don't think this is all that relevant to this post. Maybe in a very vague, roundabout way .......
I'm not downvoting you (because I disagree with the current reputation system and how it can be quite unjust), but I'd appreciate it if you didn't post that link anymore.
Thanks!
Hi again. I just saw the reward for the scavenger hunt. That was really nice of you. Thank you. :) It was a lot of fun - haven't had the chance to finish something just for the fun of it in a while. :) I'm sure we'll be talking again.
Hi @complexring. I just wanted to let you know that searching for your picture inspired me to start my own Steemit scavenger hunt and math challenge. Thanks for the inspiration. :). https://steemit.com/steemit/@melek/introducing-the-melek-steemit-scavenger-hunt-and-math-challenge-1-win-30-steem-dollars
Nice article :)