Math in the News
Spielman Named 2012 MacArthur Fellow
Daniel A. Spielman, professor of applied mathematics and computer science at Yale University, was named a 2012 MacArthur Fellow.
Spielman is the Henry Ford II Professor of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Applied Science at Yale University. He received a B.A. (1992) from Yale University and a Ph.D. (1995) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1996–2005) prior to his appointment to the Yale faculty.
According to his MacArthur Foundation profile:
Most recently, Spielman has championed the application of linear algebra to solve optimization problems in graph theory. He and his colleagues have offered a new approach to maximizing the flow through unidirectional graphs, promising significant improvements in the speed of a wide range of applications, such as scheduling, operating system design, and DNA sequence analysis.
Recipients of MacArthur Fellowships are awarded $500,000 in no-strings-attached support over the next five years.
“I spend a lot of time doing math. In my spare moments i am likely to be found sitting and thinking about math,” said Spielman in an interview for MacArthur. “As a matter of fact, I have no idea what other people sit and think about when they are on a beach, but for me it's usually sitting and thinking about math or my research. It’s what my brain tends to do.”
Maria Chudnovsky was named a 2012 MacArthur Fellow for her work on classifications and properties of graphs (related article). Other recent mathematicians who have been named fellows include L. Mahadevan (Class of 2009), and Terrence Tao (Class of 2006).