Splash Biography

JERRY WANG, Yale 16th grader

Major: Physics

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: 2013

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Jerry is a senior at Yale studying physics and mechanical engineering.

A fact about Jerry is that he's from Chicago (but you just read the course description for Mathletics so of course you knew that already!).

A fun fact about Jerry is that no Splash student has ever been less than thrilled with a course he taught. Some think it is because of Jerry's unique ability to distill difficult concepts into clear and simple explanations, all the while dazzling with his natural sense of humor and showcasing the humbling degree of humility that has endeared him to friend and foe alike. Others contend it is because Jerry is a first-time Splash teacher. The only way to find out is to sign up for one of his classes!

The funnest fact about Jerry is that he doesn't actually talk in third person.

Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

M200: Complex Analysis in Splash Fall 12 (Oct. 20, 2012)

You've probably heard that negative numbers have square roots. You may even know what the square roots of some negative numbers are! But what in the world are complex numbers good for? In this course, I (yes, pun intended, but I really mean "we") will introduce some basic topics and beautiful results from the field of complex analysis. In other words, we'll talk about functions whose input and output is a complex number and we'll talk about how many amazing tasks these functions can accomplish. (For liability reasons, please do not enroll in this course if you are easily surprised or otherwise faint at heart. The results of complex analysis are, in seriousness, legendarily breathtaking, shockingly concise, and dazzlingly beautiful.)

M201: Mathletics: Mathematical Modeling in Sports in Splash Fall 12 (Oct. 20, 2012)

Are you fond of sports and the numbers that often come up... in sports? Do you enjoy practical applications of math? Did you like Michael Lewis's "Moneyball"? Then you'll LOVE "Mathletics: Mathematical Modeling in Sports!" Brought to you by a co-teacher of "Complex Analysis," this course will eschew uppity references to calculus, analysis, and the advanced maths, in favor of blue-collar grind-it-out arithmetic and statistics. The course will introduce and glorify topics from the rapidly developing field of sports statistics, with a special focus on statistical analyses of baseball and basketball. Simple statistical methods to perform your own sports analyses at home will also be covered. (Students unwaveringly loyal to the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, or Miami Heat should seek the permission of the course instructor (jerry.wang@yale.edu) *before* enrolling so that a special standing-room-only area may be arranged.)