The Quadratic Formula Revisited
High school students learn how to express the solution of a quadratic equation in one unknown in terms of its three coefficients. Why does this formula matter? We offer an answer in terms of discriminants and data. This lecture invites the audience to a journey towards non-linear algebra.
Bernd Sturmfels is a mathematician renowned for his influential work at the interface of algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and computational mathematics. Currently a professor at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig and the University of California, Berkeley, Sturmfels has made significant contributions to fields such as algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, discrete geometry, Gröbner bases, toric varieties, tropical geometry, algebraic statistics, and computational biology. He has authored numerous research papers and several foundational books, mentoring a generation of mathematicians. His work is known for its deep theoretical insight as well as its practical applications across mathematics and the sciences.