Forget Math 55: We Can Add Vectors at Harvard
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Rather than highlight one of the many examples of advanced mathematical research and scholarship conducted at Harvard, the back page of an official FAS campaign booklet showcased… vector addition.
To kick off the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ $2.5 billion capital campaign, Harvard administrators and faculty spent Saturday morning wowing supporters and friends of Harvard with tales of all the amazing things students and researchers are doing on campus. It’s no surprise they tried to play this angle up—after all, a good chunk of the money Harvard hopes to raise will go towards improving teaching and enhancing the learning experience.
However, in preparing the campaign literature distributed to attendees this weekend, it looks like campaign organizers might have underestimated the mathematical abilities of Harvard’s teachers and learners. You may recognize the chalk-drawn mathematical rule being demonstrated in the top photo from your eighth grade geometry class.
Happy solving, everyone!