February%20Is%20Black%20History%20Month%20A%20Salute

1
February Is Black History Month A Salute
2
Established in 1926

• From Jackie Robinson to Tiger Woods, Harriet
  Tubman to David Blackwell, Black History Month
  pays tribute to inspirational African Americans
  from the past, as well as those who will continue
  to make history well into the future.

• Credited to a Harvard scholar, Carter G. Woodson.
  
• He chose the second week of February in honor of
  the birthdays of pivotal black supporters
  Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

David Blackwell?
3

• David Blackwell
• Born April 24 1919
• In Centralia, Illinois, USA

• David Blackwell is, to mathematicians, the most
  famous, perhaps greatest, African American
  Mathematician.
• He received his Ph.D. in Master of Arts in
  Mathematics by the age of 22!!!

4
David Blackwell

• Early in his mathematics he had mixed reactions
  to it
• I could do it and could see that it was
  useful, but it wasnt really exciting.
• A high school teacher sparked his initial
  interest in geometry
• He applied his growing interest in mathematics to
  games such as noughts and crosses.

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES?
5
Noughts and CrossesTIC-TAC-TOE
Well Done!
6
Game Theory
Game theory is a fascinating subject that has
been studied by great mathematicians and has its
roots
back to Talmud of the Babylonians, which was a
compilation of ancient law and tradition set down
by the Jews during the first five centuries A.D.
(500-0 A.D.)
7
All types of games have been studied in
Game Theory
One of Blackwell's Initial Interest was of a
game of two duellists.
8
The Cold War promoted interest in this type of
game
Blackwell soon became a leading expert, a
valuable resource.
9
Game Theory
what kind of games...
CHESS
10
Game Theory
Poker
11
Game Theory
Baseball
12
Game Theory
there are also...

• Psychological games played on a personal level,
  where the weapons are words, and the payoffs are
  good or bad feelings.

13
Game Theory
where else can it be found...

• In competition between business firms
• Conflict between management and labor
• The fight to get bills through Congress
• War and peace negotiations between countries
• all provide examples of games in action.

14
Game Theory
One of David Blackwell's contributions to
mathematics and in general game theory was
Infinite games.
8
Games that go on forever there is no finish line.
15
Game Theory
Infinite games...
Economics
16
Game Theory
Economics
Game Theory has emerged recently as a powerful
challenger to the conventional method of
examining economics. The main purpose of game
theory is to consider situations where instead of
players making decisions as reactions to
exogenous situations their decisions are
strategic reactions to other agents actions
("live variables"). An agent is faced with a set
of moves he can play and will form a strategy, a
best response to his environment, which he will
play by.
17
Game Theory
Economics
Another famous mathematician who studied this
field of mathematics was John Nash Ph.D.
The real deal Holloywoods version
Russel Crow Best Picture in 2001
A Beautiful Mind
18
Thank You!David BlackwellWe Salute you!
Game Theory
He is the first and only African American to be
any one of a member of the National Academy of
Sciences, a President of the American Statistical
Society, and a Vice President of the America
Mathematics Society.