Mathematics has the potential to be far more than just numbers in a classroom; it can provide insights into such events as O.J. Simpson's murder trial or certain TV shows, said Professor Steven Strogatz at a group discussion at William Keeton House Feb. 10.

Strogatz, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell, presented the talk, "Doing Math in Public: From the Columns of The New York Times to 'The Calculus of Friendship,'" as part of the Conversations at Keeton discussion series. He spoke to a packed room about his experiences with making math palatable to those who may otherwise find it boring or intimidating.

"There are plenty of people who studied math in high school but never got it," Strogatz said. "They can do the problems, they can do the homework, but they can't see how it exists in the real world."

Strogatz sought to change that in his 15-week series of columns in the online edition of The New York Times in 2010. The series, which included a probability-based evaluation of O.J. Simpson's murder trial and an extended reference to the 1985 Bruce Willis sitcom "Moonlighting," demonstrated the application of mathematical concepts to everyday life.

"The same way a chemist can look at ... objects and see the chemistry that made them, I want people to be able to see where math is all around them. Because it really is beautiful," Strogatz said.

He then added, "I myself was terrible at chemistry."

Strogatz also confessed to feelings of inferiority among fellow academics and admitted his own tendency to use mathematics as a barrier to human relationships. He cited his 2009 non-fiction book, "The Calculus of Friendship," as evidence that shared knowledge can be both inhibiting and catalyzing when it comes to communication.

The book contains the letters Strogatz exchanged with his high school math teacher over the course of 30 years, while also subtly documenting Strogatz's own struggles with interpersonal connection.

"The idea for the book came when I realized that when it came down to it, I really didn't know anything about [my teacher]," Strogatz said. "We'd been writing about complex math for all this time, but ... I never wrote and offered condolences when his son died."

Still, Strogatz remained optimistic that the pursuit and passion for knowledge can do more to unite people than to divide them.

"It seems like everything is politics these days," he said. "But I think math can always be objective. It's one of the few things that can be."

Ultimately, however, Strogatz understood that for many people, math will never be as captivating as it was for him.

"I've tried to make it so people can really help their kids with their long division homework," he said. "But I don't expect that everyone is as consumed by math as I am."

And that's okay, Strogatz added. It's more important that everyone find a subject for which they feel genuine enthusiasm.

"You have to find the thing that makes you sing out," he said. "That's all research is, really, is thinking and thinking about a question that only you care about.

"You have to find what gives your life color," he continued. "Otherwise, what's the point?"

Kathleen Jercich '11 is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.