Meet a Mathematician! - Dr. Robin Wilson

Summary

Robin Wilson, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, shares his journey from being an average math student to a passionate mathematics educator and researcher. Initially drawn to science, Wilson's interest in math was ignited through a professional development program at UC Berkeley, leading him to major in math. His research in low-dimensional topology focuses on the study of shapes and their properties under deformation. Wilson also reflects on being one of the few black students in his math classes and the importance of mentorship, highlighting the influence of Dwayne Cooper and the Mathematicians of African Diaspora website. He emphasizes the value of asking questions and collaborative learning in math.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Robin Wilson is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University.
• 👨‍🎓 Initially, he wasn't particularly good at math but had an interest in science, which led him to decide to teach mathematics.
• 🏫 He was part of a professional development program at UC Berkeley, which was one of the first programs designed for equity in math education.
• 🔍 His interest in low-dimensional topology was sparked by the opportunity to do research, which led him to pursue graduate studies.
• 🎓 The area of math he's interested in, low-dimensional topology, involves the study of shapes that can be preserved when deformed.
• 🤔 He explains knots as one-dimensional objects in low-dimensional topology, which can be distinguished by the space around them.
• 👨‍🏫 His proudest accomplishment is the graduation of his students, especially those who have overcome significant challenges.
• 👩‍🏫 His mother played a crucial role in advocating for him to take higher-level math classes, which influenced his academic trajectory.
• 🌟 Dwayne Cooper was a significant role model for him, demonstrating the possibility of balancing math research and education.
• 📚 The website 'Mathematicians of African Diaspora' was influential in expanding his knowledge about black mathematicians and their contributions.
• 🤝 He emphasizes the importance of asking questions, working together, and finding community in the study of mathematics.

Q & A

What is Robin Wilson's current position?

Robin Wilson is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University.

How did Robin Wilson's initial attitude towards mathematics develop during his early years?

Initially, Robin Wilson was not particularly good at or interested in mathematics. It was not a focus for him, and he was more inclined towards science.

What influenced Robin Wilson to decide on teaching mathematics?

Robin Wilson's decision to teach mathematics was influenced by his participation in a professional development program at UC Berkeley, which was designed for equity in math education.

What is the area of mathematics that Robin Wilson is interested in?

Robin Wilson is interested in low-dimensional topology, which involves the study of shapes that can be preserved when deformed.

Can you describe the concept of 'knots' in low-dimensional topology as mentioned by Robin Wilson?

In low-dimensional topology, 'knots' are one-dimensional objects that can be deformed without breaking. They are studied to understand the space around them and how it differs when the object is knotted compared to when it is not.

What challenges did Robin Wilson face as a student in his math classes?

Robin Wilson was often the only black student in most of his math classes, which had an impact on his identity in the math classroom.

How did Robin Wilson's mother influence his academic path in mathematics?

Robin Wilson's mother was actively involved in advocating for him to take higher-level math courses, ensuring he was on track to take calculus by his senior year of high school.

What accomplishment is Robin Wilson most proud of in his career?

Robin Wilson is most proud of his students' graduations, particularly those who struggle but eventually succeed, as well as those who go on to different successful career paths.

Who was a significant role model for Robin Wilson during his academic journey?

Dwayne Cooper was a significant role model for Robin Wilson. He had success in the graduate program at Berkeley and made a big impact on many students.

What advice does Robin Wilson give to his students about learning mathematics?

Robin Wilson advises his students on the importance of asking questions and working together, emphasizing that math is more fun with friends and that collaboration can lead to less frustration and further progress.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Journey to Mathematics and Teaching

Robin Wilson, a professor of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University, recounts his initial lack of proficiency in math during his youth. Despite not being particularly good at math, he was drawn to the sciences and decided to teach mathematics during his college years. He participated in the Professional Development Program at UC Berkeley, which focused on equity in math education. Wilson enjoyed teaching and helping students overcome math challenges, leading him to major in math. His interest in research grew as he explored low-dimensional topology, the study of shapes that can be deformed without tearing or gluing. This field includes the study of knots and three-manifolds, which are central to Wilson's research.

05:01

🎓 Overcoming Challenges and Advocacy in Education

As a student, Robin Wilson was often the only black student in his math classes, which became more pronounced as he approached calculus. His mother played a crucial role in advocating for his academic placement, ensuring he had access to calculus, which was essential for college admissions. Wilson's proudest moments are his students' graduations, particularly those who struggled but persevered. He also highlights the influence of Dwayne Cooper, a role model who succeeded in graduate studies and made a significant impact on students. Wilson's exposure to the Mathematicians of African Diaspora website in the late 1990s was inspiring, as it provided information about black mathematicians and their contributions to the field.

10:05

🤝 The Value of Questions and Collaboration in Mathematics

Robin Wilson emphasizes the importance of asking questions and seeking answers in the field of mathematics. He encourages students to identify their own questions and find ways to get them answered, which can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject. Wilson also stresses the benefits of working together, suggesting that math is more enjoyable and less frustrating when done collaboratively. He believes that teamwork can lead to greater progress and a more enriching learning experience.

Keywords

💡Mathematics

Mathematics is the abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts (pure mathematics), or as applied to other fields (applied mathematics). In the video, Robin Wilson's journey with mathematics was not initially strong, but it became a pivotal part of his life as he decided to teach it, eventually leading to a career in low-dimensional topology. His story illustrates the transformative power of mathematics education.

💡Low-dimensional topology

Low-dimensional topology is a branch of mathematics that studies geometric properties of spaces that are preserved under continuous transformations, particularly in dimensions one, two, and three. Robin Wilson's interest in this field is highlighted in the video, where he describes studying shapes that can be deformed without tearing or gluing, such as knots and three-manifolds.

💡Knots

In the context of the video, knots are one-dimensional objects studied in low-dimensional topology. They are interesting because they can be manipulated in three-dimensional space, and different knots can have distinct properties even if they are topologically equivalent. Robin uses a loop as a physical example to explain how a simple circle can become a complex knot, changing the space around it.

💡Deformation

Deformation in the video refers to the continuous transformation of a shape or object without tearing or gluing. This concept is central to low-dimensional topology, where the focus is on how objects can be stretched or bent while maintaining certain properties. Robin discusses how the study of deformation helps understand the intrinsic properties of shapes and spaces.

💡Equity in math education

Equity in math education is the fair treatment of all students, ensuring they have access to the same opportunities and resources in learning mathematics. The video mentions that Robin was part of a program at UC Berkeley designed for equity in math education, indicating his commitment to making mathematics accessible and inclusive.

💡Research opportunity

A research opportunity, as mentioned in the video, is a chance for students to engage in scholarly work or investigative projects, often under the guidance of a mentor. Robin's experience with research opportunities in college sparked his curiosity and led him to pursue graduate studies, highlighting the importance of such experiences in academic development.

💡Three-manifolds

Three-manifolds are spaces that can be thought of as three-dimensional surfaces or volumes. In the video, Robin explains that knots and three-manifolds are objects of study in low-dimensional topology, with the latter being a space that can contain or be bounded by knots. This concept is crucial for understanding the spatial relationships in his field of study.

💡Academic Talent Search program

The Academic Talent Search program is a type of program designed to identify and nurture academically talented students. In the video, Robin's mother ensured he was involved in such a program, which provided him with access to advanced math classes, illustrating the role of support systems in educational advancement.

💡Role model

A role model in the video is someone who serves as an example to be emulated. Robin mentions Dwayne Cooper as a role model who had a significant impact on him, showing the importance of having inspirational figures in one's academic and professional journey.

💡Mathematicians of African diaspora

The term refers to mathematicians of African descent who have made significant contributions to the field. Robin discusses a website dedicated to these mathematicians, which was a source of inspiration for him. It underscores the importance of representation and learning about diverse contributions to mathematics.

💡Collaboration in math

Collaboration in the context of the video means working together with others to solve mathematical problems or explore concepts. Robin emphasizes the value of doing math with friends or colleagues, suggesting that teamwork can lead to greater understanding and less frustration, which is a common theme in educational discourse.

Highlights

Robin Wilson, a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University, initially wasn't particularly good at math.

Wilson's interest in science led him to consider mathematics as part of his academic journey.

He decided to teach mathematics during his college years, influenced by a professional development program at UC Berkeley.

Wilson enjoyed teaching and helping students overcome math challenges, which led him to major in math.

Towards the end of college, Wilson explored research opportunities in mathematics, finding it intriguing.

He chose to pursue graduate school to continue learning, despite uncertainty about the path it would take him.

Wilson's area of interest in mathematics is low-dimensional topology, which involves the study of shapes that can be deformed without tearing or gluing.

Knots are a key object of study in low-dimensional topology, representing one-dimensional shapes that can be manipulated in space.

The topology of the space around a knot is a significant aspect of Wilson's research, as it differs from the space around an unknotted circle.

Wilson's work involves studying knots, three-manifolds, and two-dimensional surfaces within the context of low-dimensional topology.

Being one of the only black students in his math classes had an impact on Wilson's identity in the math community.

Wilson's mother played a crucial role in advocating for his placement in Algebra 1 to ensure he could take calculus in his senior year.

Seeing students graduate, especially those who have struggled, is one of Wilson's proudest accomplishments.

Dwayne Cooper, a successful black mathematician, served as a role model for Wilson during his undergraduate studies.

The Mathematicians of African Diaspora website was an influential resource for Wilson, providing insights into the contributions of black mathematicians.

Wilson emphasizes the importance of asking questions and seeking help to advance in mathematics.

Collaboration is key in mathematics, as working with others can lead to greater progress and less frustration.

Transcripts

my name is Robin Wilson and I'm a

professor in the Department of

Mathematics at loyala Mar

University so when I was young um math

was not

something um that I was necessarily good

at I wasn't bad at math but I wasn't

really good at math either um it was

like something that was there but it

definitely wasn't something that I was

really thinking about um I think I was

thinking about science and wanting to go

into the sciences and math maybe was a

part of

that

I decided first that I wanted to teach

mathematics and so that was when I was a

student in college um I was a part of

the professional development program was

the name of the program at UC Berkeley

and it was um I guess they're called

emerging scholar programs now um and I

it was one of the first um like programs

designed for equity in in math education

and so uh I got a job teaching in the

program and I really liked it I really

liked um you know the the job and uh

like the community there and like

helping people um kind of get through

their challenges with math and so um I

decided to Major math so that I could

teach teach and um I guess it was uh

towards the end of college I got a

chance to um to do a research

opportunity or two and I was it was

interesting to me and I was kind of

curious about what um what research was

like you know and so it seemed like it

would sad to like stop learning stop you

know to never to stop learning new

things you know in math right there at

the end of my uh senior year just went

things were like really starting to get

interesting and so um I decided to give

graduate school a chance not not really

knowing like where where it would take

me so um the area of math that I'm

interested in is called low-dimensional

topology and so um it involves the study

of shapes um but instead of um and being

interested in things like uh angles area

distance volume um we're interested in

shapes that things that can be preserved

when you deform um when you uh deform an

object like it as if it was made of

rubber and so um let's see I think I

have some things like oops like I have

the uh um a loop right here so knots are

one of the objects of low dimensional

topology um the uh not we think of as

onedimensional because if you lived um

you know on the surface of this object

if it was really really really thin

there would be only uh two directions

you could go forwards and backwards and

so that that's one dim menion and uh

this is a

circle but you can uh make a new

Circle by breaking it and then Ming it

back together and soad

uh it's still a circle um like if you

were an ant and started walking in One

Direction along the knot you would

eventually uh come back to the place

that you started with and you probably

wouldn't be able to tell the difference

the like between this circle the one

that um I had before we broke it and

reconnected things but uh there's

something about like the way that it

passes through space uh is different and

so um so it has uh the space around the

knot has different has different

topology than the space around the

circle before we uh knotted it up and so

not theory is about um studying uh uh it

knots and try to try to tell them apart

using different techniques and also um

thinking about what what does the KN

tell us about the the space around the

the not as well and it turns out that

that's an examp example of something

that's called a three a three manifold

and um so knots and three manifolds and

uh and the surfaces that that live in

the three manifolds and that bound bound

these knots are um so different objects

that we can study um of Dimensions one

two surfaces and three of the three

manifolds in in low Dimensions um so

that's my introduction to low

conventional

topology I guess one of the things that

comes to mind is being one of the only

if not the only black student in most of

my math classes um in high school in

particular probably um you know the

other other grades too um but um in

particular like as I got closer to

calculus um it kind of became more

apparent it's not something that became

a really I became aware as aware of um

as a student until like I look back um

like from uh a couple years removed in

college um but um

the uh that was definitely something

that um you know has an impact on like

my identity you know in the math in the

math classroom um and so I do remember a

couple things with um getting access to

calculus and so like I had Algebra 2

trig like my mom was pretty involved

with trying to make sure I had like

access to calculus by the senior year

and so she um had me taking like this

algebra class I remember

uh uh the what was it called the

academic Talent search

program uh at Sacramento State

University so it was like a

[Music]

self-plug

counselor and then he gives me my

classes and he was like yeah you know I

think um I I took German you should take

German I'm um you took pre-algebra and

God like a be

and a C I'm going to put you in

prealgebra again you know and I was like

okay cool you know and I went home and

show my uh my uh you know little

schedule to my mom and she was really

mad and I was like I didn't know what

was wrong you know I was like oh yeah he

said that I would pakus would be easy

for me so I would get an A you know I

thought it was a great idea and so she

went up to the school and um had to

advocate for me to get placed in Algebra

1 you know so that I could be on play on

on track to get to um to calculus V my

senor so my mom um really would had to

like advocate for me and watch out every

step of the way kind of to just make

sure that I had a chance to take

calculus you know by a senior year high

school which had had a lot to do with

you know the um potential for college

admissions and stuff like

that the

proudest accomplishment is the

graduations and the students that

graduate and um um I think like on the

you know all of them on the one hand

like the students that really

struggle and then seeing them a

graduation you know it's always uh like

so rewarding and all the all the kind of

challenges and struggles get washed away

kind of and you get a kind of a fresh

start and those students are um

you know make uh for a lot of them the

degree makes a really big difference

like in their you know in their lives

and um and the and the Really successful

students that um you know and seeing

those students go on

to

um the different career paths whether

it's uh going into graduate programs

like us and follow our path or like or

like do something

different early in my career um going

back to when I was an

undergraduate um Dwayne Cooper is

somebody who stands out as um a real

role model for me um he was someone who

um you know had had success at um you

know in the graduate program um at

Berkeley and he also like made a big

impact on a lot of a lot lot of students

there um in his time there um and so um

when I first met him he was working in

he had a joint position in the math and

and and education and that was also

really interesting that like you could

kind of do uh both both things you know

math research um and math and math

education and so um he's still somebody

that I look up to you know a lot to to

this day um I guess uh and then you know

through Lana she introduced me to the

um a mathematicians of African diaspora

website and so this was like in the 19

late 1990s probably and so they had uh

this website had a lot of information

about um uh black mathematicians and

different like

contributions uh kind of throughout

Antiquity um from from Africa to Ma

atics and so it was a place that I would

go spend a lot of time just learning

about things that I hadn't been hadn't

been taught about and so um uh and like

you know learning about um what we

called like the first black

mathematicians um and uh and their

stories and um getting the chance to

meet some of these people uh later on at

conferences or um and things like that

uh was really you know um like inspiring

for me so like uh David Blackwell and uh

this guy named Jay Ernest Wilkins and um

this other mathematician named ABD Abdul

Alim shabaz and these were all people

that like I really looked up to and um

you know wanted wanteded to be

like one thing that comes to mind uh is

the importance of you know figuring out

what your questions are and like kind of

realizing that you're supposed to have

questions like lots of questions and um

and you know figuring out where your

questions are and um and and asking them

and finding ways to to get help um to

get them answered and maybe another one

is uh you know working together and uh

um like I uh tell my students all the

time that math is more f with friends

and so I find

um uh you know people that you like to

to talk to to um to talk to anyway to to

do math with or maybe might you might

meet new people like that way too that

you wouldn't expect like that you um

would have uh anything to talk about

with right but you maybe you like

talking about math with with these

people and um and so um you know working

together um like you get a lot farther

and get uh a lot a lot less frustrated

to because you're you're kind of not not

going out of the loan so much those are

uh two words of wisdom

[Music]