# ESP Biography

## SAL ELDER, Graduate student studying quantum information

Major: Applied Physics

College/Employer: Yale

## Brief Biographical Sketch:

Sal grew up just outside of Troy, NY, which is the birthplace of Uncle Sam. He recently graduated from Cornell University, where he majored in physics and wrote for the campus humor magazine. These days, he is but a lowly graduate student in the Yale Applied Physics department.

## Past Classes

(Look at the class archive for more.)

Unsolved math problems in Sprout Spring 18
There are some problems in mathematics that sound simple, but have never been solved by anyone. In this elective, we'll explore what some of these problems are. (Maybe you can solve one!)

Proof by Induction in Sprout Fall 17
Mathematical induction is a method of proving patterns. For example, you can use it to show that adding up the first $$n$$ odd numbers always equals $$n^2.$$ (Try it! The first five odd numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. If you add them, you get 25, which is five squared. This pattern continues forever.) While it cannot be applied to every problem, it does have various applications throughout math. In this one-hour session, I'll explain what induction is and how it works. The rest of the time will be spent on a brief tour of examples, touching on algebra, geometry, and puzzles. If time permits, I'll introduce structural induction and context-free grammars.