Please Note: This seminar will be given online.
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Student seminar series Dylan Spicker Link to join seminar: Hosted on Microsoft Teams |
The Harms of Historical Hyperbole
George Dantzig was a well renowned mathematician and statistician. He is best known as the inventor of the simplex algorithm and is largely credited with inventing the field of linear programming. He had a wonderful career, survived to the age of 90, and will certainly have a lasting impact on the world at large. He was a member of numerous societies, the recipient of many awards and an honorary degree. He is also the namesake for an award in mathematical programming. I include these accolades to make clear that Dantzig was an impressive researcher, and from everything that I've heard, a very kind person. There is also a mythology that has been built-up surrounding George Dantzig's life, one which I think undermines his accomplishments. In this talk I will explain why I think that these myths are harmful and why I think you should as well.