Teaching

Courses:

Winter 08	Math 180A. Introduction to Probability
Fall 07	Math 111A. Mathematical Modelling
Spring 07	Math 20D. Differential Equations Math 217A. Topics in Applied Math: Quantum Algorithms
Winter 07	Math 217A. Topics in Applied Math: Quantum Algorithms
Fall 06	Math 109. Mathematical Reasoning Math 196/296. Student Colloquium
Winter 06	Math 111A. Mathematical Modelling
Spring 04	Math 111B. Mathematical Modelling Math 199. Independent Study
Winter 04	Math 111A. Mathematical Modelling Math 199. Independent Study
Fall 03	Math 109. Mathematical Reasoning
Spring 03	Math 199. Independent Study
Winter 03	Math 21D. Introduction to Differential Equations
Fall 02	Quantum Computing Seminar: Quantum Learning
Spring 02	Math 217A. Topics in Applied Math: Quantum Computation & Information Security Math 199. Independent Study
Winter 02	Math 217A. Topics in Applied Math: Quantum Computation & Information Security
Fall 02	Math 20F Section A. Linear Algebra Math 20F Section C. Linear Algebra

Talks:

• ``Coloring, quantum mechanics, and Euclid'' [PDF with embedded QuickTime (773K)]
  Math 196/296: Student Colloquium
  (3 December 2003).
  

  Can you color the plane with three colors so that every equilateral triangle with sides of length 1 has one vertex of each color? In this talk I answer this question and describe several generalizations. Some of these have implications for the foundations of quantum mechanics (the Bell-Kochen-Specker theorem); I explain these using only linear algebra and some elementary number theory, without assuming any knowledge of quantum mechanics. Recent comments about these observations invoke Euclid's Postulates; I conclude with a brief discussion of this connection.

• ``Playing 20 questions with a quantum computer'' [PDF (4.0M)]
  Math 196/296: Student Colloquium
  (31 October 2001).
  

  Quantum computers, if they existed, would be able to solve certain problems faster than is possible on a classical computer running the best algorithms known. In this talk I illustrate how such efficient quantum algorithms work by discussing the game of "20 questions". I explain the optimal classical strategies for such games, and then show how to do much better quantum mechanically. No knowledge of quantum mechanics is required; I describe the basic facts which are needed during the talk.

• ``Introduction to quantum transforms'' [RealVideo]
  MSRI Summer Graduate Program Modern Signal Processing
  (13 June 2001).
• ``Applications of quantum transforms'' [RealVideo]
  MSRI Summer Graduate Program Modern Signal Processing
  (13 June 2001).
• ``Topology and dynamics of voting'' [PDF (10.4M)]
  Math 196/296: Student Colloquium
  (11 October 2000).