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George Dantzig, 1914-2005

Posted by timothy on from the life-well-lived dept.

Markus Registrada writes "George Dantzig, the inventor of the Simplex method for solving Linear Programming problems, died on May 13. He was also the now-legendary student who turned in solutions for what he had taken to be a homework assignment, only to find out they had been posted as examples of what were suspected to be unsolvable problems."

3 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. I hope Paul Erdos is right. by FlyByPC · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If so, George has certainly earned a look at The Book. (The one containing all possible mathematical theorems...)

    --
    Paleotechnologist and connoisseur of pretty shiny things.
  2. A new way of teaching? by John+Seminal · · Score: 5, Interesting
    He was also the now-legendary student who turned in solutions for what he had taken to be a homework assignment, only to find out they had been posted as examples of what were suspected to be unsolvable problems

    I can't help but think if he ever would have solved those problems had he been taught first that they were unsolvable??

    Schizo Person #1- "Look, there is an elephant in the room"
    Schizo Person #2- "Shhh!!! There is no elephant"
    Schizo Person #1- "But..."
    Schizo Person #2- "No buts, you don't want them to think you're crazy"

    Soon Schizo Person #1 stopps seeing the elephant. It really does not exists to him

    --

    Rosco: "If brains were gunpowder, Enos couldn't blow his nose."

  3. I really suffered LP by ArgieNomad · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Well folks, I'm an accountant. You can have all the fun you want about having an accountant here, but that's the way it is. In Argentina, where I come from, that was the best way to land a management position in no time, which I'm still waiting for.

    All that aside, I love technology in all its forms, just in case.

    Studying my 4th year, we've been teached LP, as a way to solve transport route problems, and minimum stock estimates, optimizing resources and stuff, in an assignment called "Operations Research".

    I hope one of my fellow students will read this, but I really doubt an graduate from Facultad de Ciencias Economicas - Universidad Nacional de Cordoba would read /.

    We always dreamed about finding the damn mf that invented the simplex method, but the net was far from being an accesible thing those days, so now that I find out about Dantzig, I'm kinda sad. There was a time when I would have cursed his family and chased him if he was within reach, but now I pay him honors, as one of many bright minds that go by unnoticed for students and developing minds all over the world.

    My respect

    --
    I just read /. for the sigs