David Kelly (mathematician)

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David C. Kelly is a professor emeritus [1] of mathematics at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He holds an AB from Princeton, an SM from MIT, and an AM from Dartmouth; and has taught at Oberlin College and Talladega College. [2] In 1971 he founded the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM), a six-week program for mathematically talented high school students, and directed the program for many years.

During his time at Princeton in the early 1960s, Kelly and fellow student Michael Spivak [3] created "Yellow Pig's Day," an annual celebration of mathematics and the number 17. He continues to be involved in the organization of the holiday each year, commemorating the day with food, songs, [4] a reunion, and mathematics. [5] He is quite familiar with many of the properties of the number 17, [5] and gives a special lecture on the subject each summer.

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References

  1. Hampshire College honors retiring math professor David Kelly with 17 mph speed limit signs, October 16 2015
  2. "Hampshire College Faculty Bio" . Retrieved Jan 22, 2012.
  3. "Why Yellow Pigs?" . Retrieved Jan 22, 2012.
  4. "YP Day Songs".
  5. 1 2 Laura A. Haight (1982-02-05). "Hamming It Up At Hampshire: Mathematics Gone Hogwild". Harvard Crimson . Retrieved 2007-03-04.