Fall 2017 Lecture Series

How to do Math (and Computer Science!) while Cutting a Cake

Dr. Suresh Venkatasubramanian Associate Professor, School of Computing, University of Utah

Wethinkofmathashardandallaboutaddingnumbers.Wethinkofcomputerscienceasstaringintoaglowingscreenandwritingcodealldayandallnight.Butthisisnothinglikewhattheyreallyare!Infact,mathandcomputerscienceareeverywherewelook.Andtoproveit,Sureshwilldescribetheintricatemathematicsofhowtocutacake.Thisisafun(anddelicious!)problem,andisalsousedtonegotiatetreaties,resolvedivorces,andgenerallyhelppeopleagreeonhowtoshare.Dr.SureshVenkatasubramanianhasabackgroundintheoreticalcomputerscience:thestudyoftheintrinsiccomplexityofcomputations.Overtheyears,hehasbecomemoreinterestedinproblemsofdataanalysis(whichhelikestothinkofasaspecialcaseofhighdimensionalgeometry!).Heisalsoasci-fifan,andhasspentmanyyearsreadingcyberpunkthrillers,whichgothimthinkingaboutourmachine-enhancedfuture.Afewyearsago,Sureshstartedimaginingwhatitwouldbeliketoliveinaworldwhereallhisdecisionswerecontrolled(ornudged)byalgorithmsthatlearntthingsabouthim,anditdidn’ttakelongtorealizethatwe’rebarrelingintoafuturedrivenbyalgorithmsthataren’tthatsmart,andaren’tparticularlyfair.

Sponsored by: The University of Utah Prison Education Project

Friday, October 20, 2017 5:00pm-8:00pm

Timpanogos Women’s Facility Draper, UT