Jordan Ellenberg

We sit down with Jordan Ellenberg, a world-class geometer, who takes us on a far-ranging exploration of the power of geometry, which turns out to help us think better about practically everything His writing has appeared in Slate, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Boston Globe, and he is the New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong – but in this episode we will discuss his new book, Shape: The hidden geometry of information, biology, strategy, democracy and everything else. Kitted Executive Academy Jordan Ellenberg’s Website Jordan Ellenberg’s Academic Website Jordan Ellenberg’s Twitter Shape How Minds Change David McRaney’s Twitter David McRaney’s BlueSky YANSS Twitter Show Notes Newsletter Patreon Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when a world-class mathematician meets ’80s college radio, Bill Gates’ top-10 favorite books, and a host with an algebra redemption arc? A surprisingly funny, fast-moving conversation. Dr. Jordan Ellenberg—John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at UW–Madison and author of How Not to Be Wrong —swaps stories about The Housemartins, consulting on NUMB3RS (yes, one of his lines aired), and competing at the International Mathematical Olympiad. There’s a lot of laughter—and a fresh way to see math as culture, craft, and curiosity. But we also get practical about math education. We discuss the love/hate split students have for math and what it implies for curriculum design; a century of “new” methods (and if anything is truly new); how movie tropes ( Good Will Hunting , etc.) shape student identity in math; soccer-drills vs scrimmage as a frame for algebra practice and “honest” applications; grades as feedback vs record; AI shifting what counts as computation vs math; why benchmarks miss the point and the risk of lowering writing standards with LLMs; and a preview of Jordan’s pro-uncertainty thesis. Listen to Learn: A better answer to “Why am I learning this?” using a soccer analogy The two big off-ramps of math for students, and tactics that keep more students on board How to replace the “born genius” myth with a mindset that helps any student do math When a grade is a record vs. a motivator, and a simple replacement policy that turns a rough start into effort and growth What AI will and won’t change in math class, and why “does it help create new math?” matters more than benchmark scores 3 Big Takeaways from this Episode: 1. Math mastery comes from practice plus meaning, not a “born genius.” Jordan puts it plainly: “genius is a thing that happens, not a kind of person,” and he uses the soccer drills vs scrimmage analogy to pair targeted practice with real tasks, with algebraic manipulation as a core high school skill. He urges teachers to “throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall” so different explanations land for different students, because real innovation is iterative and cooperative. 2. Students fall off at fractions and Algebra I. How do we pull them back? Jordan names those two moments as the big off-ramps and points to multiple representations, honest applications, and frequent low‑stakes practice to keep kids in. Matt’s own algebra story shows how a replacement policy turned failure into effort and persistence, reframing grades as motivation rather than just record‑keeping. 3. AI will shift our capabilities and limits in math, but math is still a human task. Calculators and Wolfram already do student‑level work, and Jordan argues benchmarks like DeepMind vs the International Mathematical Olympiad matter less than whether tools help create new mathematics. He also warns against letting LLMs lower writing standards and says the real test is whether these systems add substantive math, not just win contests. Resources in this Episode: Visit Jordan Ellenberg's website! jordanellenberg.com Read How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking Tons more resources on the show page! We want to hear from you! Send us a text. Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - T

Wherein I am joined by the estimable Jordan Ellenberg, whose daytime cover is as a math professor at the University of Wisconsin, but who secretly controls the weather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show notes / PDF & Infographic / Free audiobook / Learn how everyday math uncovers hidden truths and prevents costly mistakes. Discover Jordan Ellenberg's essential guide to mathematical thinking and decision-making. Read on your terms. Get the PDF, infographic, full ad-free audiobook and animated version of this summary of How Not to Be Wrong and unlimited bestselling book insights on the top-rated StoryShots app: https://www.getstoryshots.com/ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Help us grow to create more amazing content for you! Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the StoryShots podcast now. What should our next book be? Suggest and vote it up on the free StoryShots app. StoryShots Book Summary and Review of How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg Life gets busy. Has How Not to Be Wrong been on your reading list for a while? Learn the key insights now. We’re scratching the surface here. If you don’t already have Jordan Ellenberg’s popular book on science and mathematical thinking, order it here or get the audiobook for free on Amazon to learn the juicy details. Introduction Wouldn’t you love to never be wrong? You’re not alone, and it’s hardly a surprise. In our work, relationships, and even our hobbies, we learn from a young age that being wrong is a mistake. Constant correct thinking is a concept that seems almost impossible, right? Wrong (ironically!). How Not to Be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg discusses ways we can make life simpler by thinking mathematically. The book dives into the world of mathematics and explores its applications in everyday life. By looking at simple and complex decisions, Ellenberg reveals our mistaken beliefs that lead to common errors in our thinking. “Mathematics is the study of things that come out a certain way because there is no other way they could possibly be.” — Jordan Ellenberg About Jordan Ellenberg Jordan Ellenberg is a mathematician and author. He is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has written several books on math and its application in various fields. He received his Ph.D. in math from Harvard University in 1998 and has written for publications like The New York Times , The Washington Post , and Wired . How Not to Be Wrong is a popular book that explores the ways mathematical thinking can help us understand and solve everyday problems. StoryShot #1: Think in a Nonlinear Way Nonlinear thinking means thinking logically about what you can and cannot control. Consider the following statement: "Where you should go depends on where you are." This nonlinear way of thinking helps you develop the skill of critical thinking and be better equipped to avoid mistakes. Imagine yourself in a car at a crossroads. When the light turns green, you drive across the road directly in front of you, not diagonally to the opposite side. This is linear thinking. Thinking in a nonlinear way gives us freedom to make choices and move forward with our lives. It also prompts more questions, which ‌leads to more answers. This allows us to acknowledge changes in our lives, even if we have no control over these changes. Linear regression is a statistical technique that looks for a linear relationship between two or more variables. For example, there is a statisti

A great addition to the Arts Pod, mathematician and author Jordan Ellenberg calculates the multiplicity of areas covered by his mentor, Peggy Pfeiffer, who combined various factors to create a writers salon in their high school. We can only discuss a fraction of their infinite knowledge, but we divide and conquer hosting duties with Dr. Erica Litke, associate professor of mathematics education in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Delaware. JORDAN ELLENBERG is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research centers on number theory and arithmetic geometry. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers How Not To Be Wrong and Shape, the decidedly non-bestselling novel The Grasshopper King, and articles on mathematical topics for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other newspapers and magazines. Learn more about Jordan: Website: www.jordanellenberg.com/ Amazon Book Page: www.amazon.com/stores/Jordan-Ellenberg/author/B001K8IUCG DR. ERICA LITKE is an associate professor specializing in mathematics education in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on understanding and improving instructional quality in mathematics for students in the elementary and secondary grades. Her research has described and analyzed instructional practice in mathematics using observation instruments, connected instructional quality in mathematics to broader policy-related issues in education, and focused on teacher knowledge and professional development. Follow Erica: Twitter @ericalitke Bluesky: @ericalitke.bsky.social

Do you remember when you were in school? Or maybe you have kids there now. That age-old question always comes up in math class: "What am I ever going to use this for?" Well, turns out the answer is "everyday life!" And as this week's author, Jordan Ellenberg, will show you, the power of mathematical thinking can lead you to smarter, happier, and richer outcomes. Host: David Gardner Guest: Jordan Ellenberg Producer: Rick Engdahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TODAY'S GUEST Jordan Ellenberg is a professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking . His new book, Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else, came out earlier this year. Jordan lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and his blog is called Quomodocumque, which means "after whatever fashion" in Latin. EPISODE SUMMARY In this conversation we discuss: [2:56] Takeaways from teaching online [8:27] Early revelations about math [15:56] From academia to writing [18:54] A new way of teaching math [31:08] Lincoln and geometry [36:35] The geometry of gerrymandering [44:59] Comparing between the Israeli and the US political systems [52:21] How geometry helps in deep learning and AI [57:20] The geometry of reality [1:04:26] The philosophy of entropy [1:08:09] A non-sermon about sermons EPISODE LINKS Jordan's Links 🌍 Jordan Ellenberg on Wikipedia 🌍 Jordan's website 📘 Shape - The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else 📕 How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking 📣 Twitter: @JSellenberg Other Links 📔 Inventional Geometry ABOUT US Remake Podcast: Visit us: RemakePod.org 🙏🏻 Rate the show on iTunes 🙏🏻 Support us! Join the Podcast Member community 💌 Share your thoughts: podcast@remakelabs.com 👉 Listen or Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts ・ Google Podcasts ・ RadioPublic ・ Overcast ・ Stitcher ・ PocketCasts ・ Castro ・ SoundCloud ・ Spotify ・ YouTube ・ Deezer Remake Labs: RemakeLabs.com ・<a href= "http

We sat with Dr. Jordan Ellenberg to discuss his latest book Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else. Jordan is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His writing has appeared in Slate, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Believer. His 2014 book How Not To Be Wrong was a New York Times bestseller and was one of Bill Gates’ top five summer books. Shape is a book about practical aspects of geometry and mathematics written for a general audience. And yes, perhaps the mere word may conjure thoughts of shapes, theorems, and lectures. However, Jordan, masterfully demystifies the fundamentals, making it approachable to a broader audience. Geometry escapes the boundaries of scientific abstraction and it is very much entrenched in the fabric of reality, governing everything from political discourse, the fly path of mosquitoes, the spread of pandemics, artificial intelligence, and even poetry…Geometry is simply a quintessential part of our everyday lives, or as its author explains it, “We can’t help but being geometric”. Questions such as How many holes does a straw have? which may appear trivial become paradoxical when looked through the lens of geometry. This epitomizes math’s ability to spark scientific curiosity, and to produce some hilariously entertaining snapchats. But It also helps us understand its consequential nature and the role it plays in practical issues surrounding politics, the spread of deceases, and the raise of machine learning algorithms. All of which are governed by the same laws and are subject to exploitation. This is what makes Shape such an important text. It effectively democratizes concepts traditionally relegated to textbooks and classrooms, making this book not just quite the entertaining read, but also highly critical to understand some of the mechanics of the world. A book we are certain you’ll enjoy from cover to cover.

Jordan Ellenberg is the first official mathematician we’ve had on the show, but his work weaves through many different domains. Afterall, whether it's something like game theory or data science, it's all built on math. Jordan Ellenberg is at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics. His research centers on the fields of number theory and algebraic geometry, the parts of mathematics which address fundamental questions about algebraic equations and their solutions in whole numbers. Jordan has also been writing for a general audience about math for more than fifteen years; including “How Not To Be Wrong: The Power Of Mathematical Thinking,” “Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else,” his novel “The Grasshopper King,” and his “Do the Math” column in Slate. Jordan joins Greg to talk about what makes math special, how published studies might not be reliable, and, the geometry of how we relate to the world. Episode Quotes: Math & Intuition Improbable things are very common. Like if you like open a book to a random page and look at it and you're like, wow, 432, what's the chance that I would've opened it to exactly the page 432, like pretty small, right? The book has a lot of pages. That's a very unlikely event. And yet something in you knows not to find that remarkable, even though it's definitely improbable. So you see how your intuition gets like a little weird and twisted around. You have to be very careful. Math class is hard We know that it's like one of the classes that creates a lot of stress for kids. And one reason is that it is a venue where we tell people they're wrong. Math is fundamental Math is like a fundamentally human activity. Every single human society that's ever existed does it. And if we sort of, slice off either our poetic side or our quantitative side, we're just like slicing off like part of our human nature. Why would we do that? Show Links: Resources: Geometry by Rita Dove Guest Profile: Faculty Profile at University of Wisconsin Jordan Ellenberg's Website Jordan Ellenberg on Twitter Jordan Ellenberg on Facebook His Work: Articles on Slate Jordan Ellenberg on Google Scholar How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else The Grasshopper King Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Lexman interviews Jordan Ellenberg, a philosopher and mathematician who studies cinchonizations and exemplifiers. They discuss the difference between the two concepts and how they operate in the world. Ellenberg also touches on semiotician David Keighley's work on boomerangs and how they are used as exemplifiers.

"No debemos pensar en la pandemia como un todo o nada". El matemático Jordan Ellenberg, formado en Harvard y profesor de la Universidad de Winconsin-Madison, ha combinado su investigación con la escritura. En esta conversación con Paula Molina habla de sus libros "Cómo no equivocarse" y "Forma", y cómo las matemáticas nos han ayudado a entender y explicar la pandemia.

Wherein University of Wisconsin mathematician Jordan Ellenberg spins a yarn and we have to figure out whether it's true! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.