The Calculus of Friendship

The Calculus of Friendship

Steven Strogatz, Cornell University
AMS-MAA-SIAM Gerald and Judith Porter Lecture
Saturday, January 16, 2010, 3:00 pm – 4:45 pm
San Francisco, CA – Moscone Convention Center
Main Lecture Room, 2nd Floor Moscone

The Calculus of Friendship is the story of an extraordinary connection between a teacher and a student, as chronicled through more than thirty years of letters between them. What makes their relationship unique is that it is based almost entirely on a shared love of calculus. For them, calculus is more than a branch of mathematics; it is a game they love playing together, a constant when all else is in flux.

The teacher goes from the prime of his career to retirement, competes in whitewater kayaking at the international level, and loses a son. The student matures from high school math whiz to Ivy League professor, suffers the sudden death of a parent, and blunders into a marriage destined to fail. Yet through it all they take refuge in the haven of calculus–until a day comes when calculus is no longer enough.

Like calculus itself, The Calculus of Friendship is an exploration of change. It’s about the transformation that takes place in a student’s heart, as he and his teacher reverse roles, as they age, as they are buffeted by life itself.

Math enthusiasts, from high school students to professionals, will delight in this story of two mathematicians … and friends.   -from Princeton University Press

http://www.tam.cornell.edu/faculty-bio.cfm?NetID=shs7Steven Strogatz is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University.  His book The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding about Math is available on Amazon and from Princeton University Press.

Light refreshments served after the lecture, along with an opportunity to meet Steven Strogatz

There is no charge to attend. Simply RSVP at www.maa.org/survey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=96KHnn2

For planning purposes, please include the number of teachers, students and friends that you expect to bring. The Moscone Convention Center is located on the 747 Howard Street in San Francisco, CA.  For directions, please click the following link: www.moscone.com/directions/driving.shtml

This program is made possible by the generous donation of Dr. Gerald Porter and Dr. Judith Porter