AcademicsViktor Blåsjö – Mathematics Fellow

"Mathematics is one of the oldest and noblest enterprises of the human spirit," says Viktor Blåsjö, a recent Stockholm University graduate who spent a semester at the Technical University of Berlin before coming to Marlboro as a mathematics fellow. "One of the insights the historical perspective can bring to the classroom is that mathematics is not written in stone," says Viktor. "While a polished, logical theory--a cathedral with the scaffolding removed, as Gauss said--may impress us with its grandeur, it cannot satisfy our intellectual curiosity. We want to take part in the creation, not only admire what is created."

The exclusive emphasis on the deductive and computational aspects of mathematics, Victor believes, fails to do justice to the discipline’s true spirit. As a teacher, he tries to supplement his curriculum with a study of the rich and vibrant history of mathematics, which he considers crucial to understanding the development of human thought. "Mathematics is at the heart of the true humanist ideal," he says.

Victor's article on the history of the isoperimetric problem was awarded the Mathematical Association of America's Lester R. Ford Award in 2006.

M.S., Stockholm University, 2005. Marlboro College, 2006 -