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Spring 2017.Pub Inside this issue: The BSM Beat The Rubik’s Cube 1 Alumni newsletter for the BSM program Student Spotlight: 2 The Rubik’s Cube Keaton Ellis An Iconic Hungarian Invention Information about 2 the Spring 2017 The Rubik’s cube is Guinness Book of World Rec- class one of the most recogniza- ords in Munich, Germany and Alumni Spotlight: 3 ble toys in the world and a Rubik’s Cube made the cov- Jonathan Shapiro one of the most famous er of Scientific American. Hungarian inventions! Many people could solve one Opportunities for 4 Erno Rubik invented or two side, but solving the alumni the cube in the early 1970’s while whole cube remained elusive for working at the Department of In- many. As a result, many books were terior Design at the Academy of published with instructions for Applied Arts and Crafts in Buda- solving the puzzle and at one point pest. He obtained the patent for in 1981, three of the top ten best Spring the cube, which he called the selling books in the United States Semester “Magic Cube” in 1975. Tibor Laczi, were books on solving the Rubik’s 2017 a Hungarian businessman, took the Cube. In fact, the best selling cube to Germany’s Nuremberg Toy book of 1981 was The Simple Solu- Students arrive for language intensive Fair in February 1979 where it was tion to Rubik’s Cube by James course: discovered by Ideal Toys which Nourse which sold over 6 million January 18th signed a deal with Rubik to release copies! The cube was so popular Orientation and the cube worldwide. In an attempt that ABC Television developed a welcome party: to give the cube a more recogniza- cartoon show called Rubik, the February 5 ble name, Ideal Toys called it Amazing Cube. Classes begin: February 6 “Rubik’s Cube” after its inventor. In the early 2000’s, the cu- Classes end: By 1981, Rubik’s Cube had be began to gain popularity again May 19th become a worldwide craze and and over 15 million cubes were sold Final exams: around 200 million cubes were sold worldwide in 2008. Many internet May 22-24 in the period from 1980 to 1983. and YouTube sites now allow fans to Program ends: In March 1981, at the height of learn to solve Rubik’s Cube and also May 25 the craze, the first speedcubing to see some of the world’s fastest championship was organized by the speed cubers solve the cube in in- credibly short times! Student Spotlight, Keaton Ellis, BSM Spring 2017 Keaton Ellis was born in Ur- couraged him beyond what he thought vastly different bana, Illinois, but he has grown up in he was capable of doing. He took lifestyles and back- Texas, Michigan and now Maryland combinatorics last spring and really grounds. While in where he is currently a junior at the enjoyed the class because of the sim- Hungary this University of Maryland. Keaton plicity of the questions and the diffi- spring, Keaton is looking forward to learned about the BSM program culty of the answers. Many combina- going to a bathhouse and attending through a professor of his, Dr. torial problems had him thinking in a European Rubik’s Cube competitions. Michale Coti Zelati, who suggested totally different way, which was both He also really enjoys architecture and the program after he asked about incredibly challenging and extremely thinks that ancient buildings are real- potential opportunities for math ma- interesting. ly interesting. jors outside the classroom. In addition to being a math In addition to his interest in Going to BSM will fulfill his and economics double major, Keaton is math, Keaton solves Rubik’s Cubes at desire to engage in interesting math- the President of the Rubik’s Cube a very competitive level. Cubing, as it ematics while studying abroad in Club and the Treasurer of the Math is known, is a very large part of his Eastern Europe, which he loved after Club at UMD. As President, much of life. He organizes competitions and visiting Prague and the surrounding Keaton’s effort is spent organizing runs a small cubing You Tube channel area last summer. In addition to large cubing competitions at Mary- in his spare time. He is best known in wanting to study abroad, Keaton land, with competitors coming from the cubing community for a crazy learned of the excellent tradition in around the United States to compete world record day back on November combinatorics that the Hungarians against each other at the highest 21st. On that day, he broke the pre- are so proud of and this affirmed his level. For the Math Club, Keaton vious record of 5.25 seconds with a desire to attend. gives informal talks on topics he finds 5.09 second solve! Unfortunately, Keaton became a math major interesting, such as the Rubik’s Cube. someone else broke his record by the because he really enjoyed math in Last summer, Keaton trav- end of the day! Because of official high school. His high school teachers eled to Eastern Europe to compete in rules stating that records are rec- encouraged him to consider majoring the European Rubik’s Cube Champion- orded only at the end of the day, he in a STEM field because of his love ship! He really loved the amazing never technically had a world record for math and his college professors, cultural diversity he found in Europe. for the puzzle. Maybe this year will such as Dr. Wiseley Wong, also en- On one continent, he met people from be his year! What’s happening in Budapest in the Spring 2017 Semester? 75 students will at- 35 female students, religion major, 1 math Hungarian parent, one tend the program 40 male students and chemistry major, student spent a sum- 4 seniors There are 48 math 3 math and statistics mer volunteering as a majors, 2 math and trail maintenance 66 juniors majors, 8 math and computer science ma- philosophy majors. worker in a national 5 sophomores jor, 4 math and phys- Interesting tidbits park, one student Students from 48 ics majors, 5 math about the class: One spent spring break different schools and economics major, student’s grandpar- volunteering to train service dogs Students from 3 1 math and biology ents immigrated to countries major, 2 math and art the US from Hungary, majors, 1 math and one student has a Alumni Spotlight, Jonathan Shapiro, BSM Spring 1987 (30 years ago!) Jonathan only about an hour from Prague, Krakow, Bucharest and Shapiro was born in home. many places in Hungary. He met Queens, New York in Jonathan is now many wonderful Hungarians and 1966 and just turned a full professor at Cal the woman he lived with (Nelli 50 (on December 1!). Poly, San Luis Obispo Montagh, along with her son He went to UC Berke- where he began teach- Balazs, in an apartment on Vaci ley for both his under- ing in 1998 after utca) was wonderful. She was still graduate degree and spending three years as there in 2013 when he visited Bu- his Ph.D., which he a visiting professor at dapest! completed in 1995. Northwestern Universi- Jonathan’s favorite clas- Jonathan first received a ty. His research is in the area of ses were definitely Conjecture flyer about the BSM progrm operator theory and functional and Proof and a course in analytic sometime around early 1986, but analysis. He teaches many calcu- number theory. His BSM experi- he ignored it the first time until a lus classes since there are many ence really changed his life quite a second packet of information ar- engineering students at Cal Poly bit. He went back to Budapest in rived shortly after. He became but he enjoys teaching any of the 1989 for six months and got to interested because he wanted to undergraduate or graduate level know many more Hungarian stu- do something where he could see courses. He loves all aspects of dents while teaching English. Lat- more of the world and since he being a professor except for er, when he got married (to Cathy) was a self-described “math geek” grading papers! Jonathan notes back in the US and had a son, they this seemed like a perfect oppor- that San Luis Obispo is a great named him Zoltan since he always tunity. He didn’t know anything place to live, recently being named liked that name in Budapest. about Budapest except that it wasBSM Director’sthe best Mathematician college town in Residence in America (DMiR) Program Zoltan is now 21 years old! behind the Iron Curtain so it by one of the college ranking seemed much more exotic and sites. foreign. He applied for and par- Having attended one of ticipated in the program in Spring the earliest BSM semesters, he 1987. has lots of great memories from Having loved math since his time in BSM. He loved meeting middle school, Jonathan never re- all of the people and doing new ally considered being anything but and exciting things, which seemed a math major. He participated in nonstop for the entire semester! math contest and hung out with He loved traveling to the Tatra In addition to math, Jona- other math people at his high mountains in Czechoslovakia (now than does a lot of photography school (Gunn High School in Palo Slovakia) to and you can see many of his pho- Alto, CA). He studied math at ski for the tos from his 2013 trip to Buda- Stanford with Professor Paul Co- first time.
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