David Sumpter is a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Uppsala, in Sweden, and the author of a wonderful book called The 10 equations that Rule the World.

He talks to Guy Spier about the various applications of mathematics in practical areas of our day-to-day life, such as social media algorithms, graph theory, Bayes’ theorem, and even vaccinations.  

Full transcript available here: https://aqfd.docsend.com/view/8sw5qidsc44bzkr2

Contents:

Pure Mathematics vs. Applied Mathematics (00:00)

Graph Theory and its Applications (10:39)

The Advertising Equation in Social Media (17:11)

Taking Control of the Algorithms that Control Us (20:11)

“Fluffy Science” vs. Empirical Studies (25:02)

From the Kelly Criterion to Bayes’ Theorem (32:22)

Mathematics Behind Vaccination Hesitancy (41:55)