Math 23's Boy Genius

Looming in the shadows of multivariable calculus and linear algebra proofs, a new breed of brain has infiltrated the Math 23a class.  It could be any Harvard student’s nightmare. And he’s only 10 years old.

But to his fellow classmates, this math prodigy is just another student. Most students said they didn’t care about his presence (although we suspect that if the class was curved it might be a different story).

“I don’t have a problem with it,” said Laszlo R. Seress ’14. “I think it’s good that other kids are taking advantage of what Harvard has to offer.” Jonathan K. Stevens ’14 expressed a similar sentiment. “It keeps you humble,” he said.

But for less mathematically inclined students, this numerical wonder-boy seems anything but ordinary. We’d love to ask him all sorts of questions, like “How do you schedule this around recess and naptime?” But Mama Bear is always close and wants to keep his fame under wraps for the time being. We’ll respect his privacy and keep his identity hidden, but here’s a hint: the last whereabouts of this rare species was identified near Science Center A on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Keep an eye out, because this little whiz is too cute to miss a glimpse of.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: Sept. 12, 2013

An earlier version of this post misspelled the first name of Laszlo R. Seress ’14.