Celebrating Richard Guy
On March 9, 2020, Dr. Richard Guy, professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, passed away at the age of 103. He was an inspirational teacher, colleague, philanthropist, mountaineer, and treasured friend.
Our series of events celebrating Richard, his research and lasting legacy took place over four days and began with the annual Louise and Richard K. Guy Lecture on October 1, 2020.
2020 Louise and Richard K. Guy Lecture
Speaker: Dr. Terence Tao, Professor and The James and Carol Collins Chair in the College of Letters and Sciences Mathematics, UCLA
Speaker bio and full lecture abstract
Title: The notorious Collatz conjecture
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2020
The Unsolved Problems Conference: Celebrating the living legacy of the mathematics of Richard Guy
This one-day conference honoured Richard Guy and his contribution to mathematical research. There were two parallel sessions, geared towards combinatorics and number theory, respectively. Each session featured three talks throughout the day.
View the Conference Schedule and Abstracts
Date: Friday, October 2, 2020
Special Lecture: The Life and Numbers of Richard Guy (1916 – 2020)
Speaker: Dr. Hugh Williams, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary
Speaker bio and full lecture abstract
Title: The Life and Numbers of Richard Guy (1916 - 2020)
Date: Friday, October 2, 2020
Mathematical Play in honour of Richard Guy: A day of recreational math for high school students
Richard Guy was an enthusiastic participant in recreational mathematics. We invited high school students to propagate his love of doing math for fun by joining us to solve mathematical puzzles, problems and challenges. Problems from a special issue of Crux Mathematicorum dedicated to Richard Guy were distributed on Saturday morning by email to registered participants. Mathematicians were available via Zoom in drop in sessions to discuss the problems with students, and to offer additional hourly challenges. Participants were invited to post their solutions on a discussion board, and notable contributions by students were recognized during the closing ceremonies session. Organized by Dr. Bill Sands and Dr. Lauren DeDieu.
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2020
View slides from Colm Mulcahy’s presentation of “Three reasons why recreational mathematics is engaging, fun, beautiful and important (and a triple dealing card trick)” from the day of Mathematical Play.
“Peace is a disarming concept”: a celebration of the life of Richard Guy
Richard and Louise’s family and their many friends raised a cup of hot chocolate together and celebrated the impact their lives have had beyond the world of mathematics. Friends and family spent time celebrating Richard’s passion for mathematics and how he shared this passion with others. It was a time for family, friends, and colleagues to share their memories of Richard and reflect on the impact he has made to the community and in their lives.
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2020
View slideshow of his life, created by close friend and biographer, Chic Scott.