Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Math Encounters: "And One to Grow On: Lessons from the Birthday Problem"
featuring Larry Lesser
Wednesday, January 15
The Birthday Problem is famous not only in math class – it’s also appeared in popular culture, such as in three straight episodes of The Tonight Show! Join Larry Lesser, Professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at The University of Texas at El Paso, as we test our intuition with this problem – and some interesting variations – while incorporating math history and the role of assumptions. Even those who may have heard the main punchline will enjoy doing demonstrations and simulations, reflecting on how we perceive coincidence, and learning how the underlying reasoning applies to medical statisticians, criminologists, cybersecurity analysts, wildlife biologists, and more.
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
Math Encounters: "And One to Grow On: Lessons from the Birthday Problem"
featuring Larry Lesser
Wednesday, January 15
The Birthday Problem is famous not only in math class – it’s also appeared in popular culture, such as in three straight episodes of The Tonight Show! Join Larry Lesser, Professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at The University of Texas at El Paso, as we test our intuition with this problem – and some interesting variations – while incorporating math history and the role of assumptions. Even those who may have heard the main punchline will enjoy doing demonstrations and simulations, reflecting on how we perceive coincidence, and learning how the underlying reasoning applies to medical statisticians, criminologists, cybersecurity analysts, wildlife biologists, and more.
Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular free public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
