Prof. Underwood Dudley to Speak at Humboldt State University

September 24, 2008

September 24, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. — Underwood Dudley, professor emeritus of mathematics at DePauw University, will present Humboldt State University's 52nd Harry S. Kieval Lecture on Thursday, October 9.  Dr. Dudley's 8 p.m. address is titled "Why Mathematics?"

"Why do we teach and learn mathematics?," asks the professor who taught at DePauw from 1967 to 2004. "I will give six answers, of which the first five are wrong. Among the wrong answers are that it is necessary to learn mathematics for jobs, and that it is necessary to learn mathematics to function in the world. I will not disclose the right answer here."

Woody Dudley's book, Mathematical Cranks, drew the attention of the Chronicle of Higher Education in August. On July 13, 2007, New York's Newsday cited the professor's "Friday the 13th trivia." That same month, Dudley was quoted in an MSNBC.com story.

 

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