Dante’s MIT

Seeing my old friend A. R. Gurney, the illustrious playright, at his 60th Reunion here at Williams College and addressing the 25th Reunion dinner at MIT, all last Saturday, brought back many happy memories.

Gurney and I taught a freshman seminar at MIT on “Math and Literature,” in which he had to do all the homework I assigned on the Euler characteristic and I had to do his assignments in literature, including a parody of Dante’s Inferno which I call Dante’s MIT.

At the MIT 25th Reunion Dinner, in the dazzling new Media Lab with its breathtaking view of the Boston skyline and the Charles River, I began with an old segment from the nationally syndicated PM Magazine from May 30, 1984, referred to in some old exams. My old students followed my talk on “Soap Bubbles and Mathematics” with their old enthusiasm and acuity. I’m very proud of them and all that they have accomplished.

2 Comments

  1. Mom:

    Really like this! Wish I’d been there!

  2. Tony Carpentieri:

    Geez. Somehow my daughter found this picture (me in the bright red shirt.)

    After number theory, Math and Literature was my favorite class at MIT.