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Scraping Bits

#125 - Nick Spizzirri - Reverse Engineering Math w/ Stochastic Differental Equations

Dec 8, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Nick Spizzirri, a math professor at NYU with a knack for crypto, shares his fascinating journey from music to mathematics. He highlights the pivotal role of partial differential equations in various fields, exploring their implications in physics and finance. The conversation also dives into the philosophical interplay between continuity and discreteness in the universe, and how self-learning fuels mathematical curiosity. Spizzirri emphasizes the creative aspects of problem-solving, revealing how relaxation enhances clarity and idea generation.
01:12:52

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Quick takeaways

  • Stochastic calculus enhances predictions of unpredictable phenomena, allowing experts to model scenarios like stock price movements through probability distributions.
  • The speaker's journey into mathematics emphasizes the importance of personal experiences and passions over early interest in shaping career paths.

Deep dives

Understanding Stochastic Calculus

Stochastic calculus involves dealing with collections of potential functions and their probability distributions rather than determining a single function. This approach is critical in modeling unpredictable phenomena, such as stock price movements, where outcomes are uncertain. By considering all possible paths of Brownian motion, it enables experts to derive average outcomes, such as the expected time for a stock to surpass a particular value. This probabilistic framework allows for more nuanced predictions that reflect the unpredictability of real-world scenarios.

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