Professor of Magic Mathematics Author(s): DON ALBERS and Persi Diaconis Source: Math Horizons, Vol. 2, No. 3 (February 1995), pp. 11-15 Published by: Mathematical Association of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25678003 . Accessed: 30/10/2014 13:17 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Mathematical Association of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Math Horizons. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 129.10.72.232 on Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:17:17 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions DONALBERS Professor of-Maaie Mathematics more more Persi Diaconis, professor ofmath just gets and random. That A Magical Beginning a ematics at Harvard, has just is not the way it works at all. It is ALBERS: At theage 14, you leftyour turned 50, but the energy and theorem that this phenomenon of the of next ten intact as New York City home and spent the of the 14-year old Persi who order of cards being you go intensity on What . to years the road practicing magic. left high school to do magic full time from one, two, three shuffles. made you do that? for the next ten years of his life still being essentially random happens right at seven shuffles." DIACONIS: That's The burns brightly. simple. His work inmathematical statistics Diaconis is ranked among the top greatest magician in the United States a three "close in theworld. was aman named Dai Vernon. He called was so good that he was awarded up" magicians as $200,000 MacArthur Foundation Fel Close up magic is done tableside me up one day and said, "How would lowship, tax free and no strings at tached. The purpose of the awards, for are which applications neither solic ited or accepted, is to free creative so people from economic pressures they can do work that interests them. In spite of his mathematical achieve ments, Diaconis insists that he isbetter at magic, his first career, than he is at statistics.After ten years of doing magic on the road, he decided to trycollege. a At twenty-four,he enrolled as fresh man. Five years later he had earned his Ph.D. from Harvard. a Diaconis applies mathematics to wide range of real-world problems, claiming that "I can't relate to math ematics abstracdy. I need to have a real Dice! What is this mathematics or problem in order to think about it." Strange looking Persi, magic? a Not long ago he established major to on a How does like to on the road with me?" I result about card shuffling that is of opposed stage. much you go Professor Diaconis love His re and he "Meet me at importance to anyone who plays cards magic? said, "Great," said, and who would like assurance that the sponse is crystal clear: "If I could have theWest Side Highway two days from now cards in a deck are in random order. had a professorship inmagic, and ifthe at two o'clock." So with what money the itdoes I could and one Iwent Diaconis proved that a deck of cards world recognized magic way pick up suitcase, was a needs to be shuffled seven times in mathematics, I probably would be do on the road. It simply question of a order for the cards to be in random ing magic full-time and never would magnetic, brilliant expert in the field or statistics." on as a calls on a order. He says "You might think as you have done mathematics calling me, just guru was ex shuffle a deck more and more times it His background inmagic and statis disciple. I quite honored and to tics has also proved useful in exposing cited do it. to psychics, including Uri Geller. He is A: What did your parents say your co DON ALBERS is the editor ofMath Horizons currently working on books about leaving home topractice magic? as as DIACONIS: I didn't ask them. I well co-author of Mathematical People. incidences and mathematical magic. just MathHorizons February 1995 11 This content downloaded from 129.10.72.232 on Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:17:17 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions lefthome. were at is an saw My parents upset my accomplished magician.) He DIACONIS: During the first few but out was a a leaving, somehow they found that I troubled kid and took years Iwas in very good company. Iwas that Iwas For a time Iwas the tome. He me to okay. long liking told call him if being shepherded around by Dai black of the when I I to a sheep family. Only had any questions. So I used call Vernon, brilliant man, themagician's started graduate school at Harvard did him and talk about magic, and he got magician and the best inventor of subtle to me my family begin think that I wasn't interested inworking on mathemati sleight of hand magic of the century. terrible. cal tricks warm to me because he would He taught magic: we talked magic A: So bad about that. theyfelt very your going morning, noon, and night. Since he off topractice magic. A: Did you know thatMartin Gardner was sort of old, and since I could do the was was a DIACONIS: Sure they did, I big name? sleight of hand verywell, when he would to a being groomed be virtuoso musi DIACONIS: Sure. I knew who the give magic lessons, he would have me went to cian. I Julliard from the ages of other magicians respected, who was demonstrate tricks, and then he would 5 to 14. After school on famous and who was not so famous. He and weekends explain them. So my experience was I All was a played the violin. of my family obviously very special guy, the vaguely structured and very colorful? on members [mother, father, sister, and kind of guy who could go and on a lotmore colorful than I choose to put are brother] professional musicians. about things and remain interesting into any interview. I met all kinds of I was to a never They thought going become and be pompous, just kind and interesting street people, was often violinist me and having desert music instructive. He also was genuinely de broke, hitchhiked, and so forth. was for magic not very appealing to I leftVernon when I was about 16 them. I think come to was on own. they have accept and my He went on to now. never came to it all They accept Hollywood to found what isnow known the even was at magic, though I good it. as theMagic Castle, which is a fabulous I was better at than I am at a magic what magic club, private, wonderful magic I do now. place where movie stars hang out. I A: How did you get intomagic? decided I didn't want to do that and DIACONIS: When I was five on years would stay my own. So I stayed in I found old, the book 400 Tricks You Chicago, lived in a theatrical hotel, and Can Do Howard Thurston. I it by picked played club dates, usually for $50 a and out that I a up figured could do few night. I did pretty well thatway. I even tricks. I soon did a little at magic show tually drifted back toNew York, doing mother's I re my day camp. clearly magic and pursuing it as an academic member that I was the center show. of discipline, inventing tricks, giving les attention. Iwasn't horrible on apparently, sons, and collecting old books magic, and a I sent magic became hobby. inmy which I still do. Itwas just my life. I did dimes formail-order catalogs on magic, itwith all my energy. and for I would my birthday ask for A: Magic veryoften has card tricksasso tricks as When I to presents. got public ciated with it and perhaps card playing. school Imet other kids were who magi Were you playing cards at the same time? cians and I the I joined Magic Club. DIACONIS: No, not at the begin a ProfessorDiaconis posed infront of one ofhis threwmyself into itwith real fury.All Much later somehow I a in hisHarvard ning. got copy the that I didn't into favorite paintings office. energy put doing of Feller's famous book on probability, homework or else anything connected and I got interested in probability that with school I into On a new on a put magic. many lighted if I showed him twist way. Iwould cut school and out at trick days hang that he might know. He didn't try A: How did that happen ? the magic store until closing time. to put someone down because itwas a DIACONIS: It was due to another A: Who would assemble at the magic trivial twist on something. When I friend of mine, Charles Radin, who is a store? a new showed him little idea, he would mathematical physicist at the Univer DIACONIS: Older and a note once a magicians make of it.Every in while sityof Texas, He was in college on the other kids were who interested inmagic.