Anderson Lecture Series: Francis Su

The Anderson Lecture Series welcomes Francis Su presenting Mathematics for Human Flourishing

Su says, “People often think of maths as just a set of skills, like doing arithmetic or factoring a quadratic. Yet amazingly, maths is a deeply human enterprise that meets basic human longings, such as for beauty and truth, and can build virtues, like persistence and joy and hopefulness, that serve you well no matter what you do in life. An incarcerated man — now my friend — has helped me see this more clearly than ever before.”

About Francis Su
Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, and former president of the Mathematical Association of America.  He received his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. His research is in topological and geometric combinatorics and applications to the sciences, including game theory, voting theory, and the mathematics of fair decisions. He has co-authored numerous papers with undergraduates. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

Su also has a passion for teaching and popularizing mathematics through writing and public engagement. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and the New York Times. He authors the popular Math Fun Facts website. Three of his articles have been featured in Princeton Press’ Best Writing on Mathematics in 2011, 2014, and 2018.

From the Mathematical Association of America, he received the 2018 Halmos-Ford award for mathematical writing, and the 2013 Haimo Award for distinguished teaching of college-level mathematics. His book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, published by Yale University Press, won the 2021 Euler Book Prize, and has been translated into eight languages. It offers an inclusive vision of what math is, who it’s for, and why anyone should learn it.