Prof. Peter Winkler begins job at Museum of Mathematics

Peter Winkler, the William Morrill Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, has been named the Second Distinguished Chair for the Public Dissemination of Mathematics at the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York.

But you can just call him "puzzle master."

Winkler, who teaches combinatorics, probability, and the theory of computing at Dartmouth and holds a dozen patents in cryptography, holography, and distributed computing, left this month to begin "A Year of Puzzles" at MoMath. During his one year away from Dartmouth, he will lead a series of public initiatives, including teaching mini-courses in puzzle solving; holding special events at city high schools; and hosting a series of puzzle-themed dinners for executives on probability and decision theory.

"Serving as ambassador is what the appointment is all about. I'm building a bridge between academic mathematics and public enjoyment of math as a stimulating and fun game," he says. "You don't need to be a researcher or math teacher to appreciate the beauty of mathematics, any more than you need to be a composer or performer to enjoy music."

Continue reading the full article over at Dartmouth News.