Mathematical Magic with Robert Vallin
By Tim Chartier, Davidson College
Robert Vallin
Mathematical careers can have nonlinear trajectories. It can seem almost magical when one moves from one field to another. For Dr. Robert Vallin, of Lamar University, it quite literally was magic! Vallin earned his PhD from North Carolina State University, studying classical real analysis. He’s published in fields such as analysis, topology, and number theory. Via an MAA minicourse, Robert conjured a new area of mathematical scholarship – magic. He’s given mathematical talks and performances broadly, including Panamanian television. He is founder and past-chair of the SIGMAA on Recreational Mathematics and became involved in both the Gathering for Gardner and the MOVES (Mathematics of Various Entertaining Subjects) conferences. To learn the tricks to such a trajectory, Math Values interviewed Robert and got a mini-performance as an extra treat!
Chartier: How did you get involved in math and magic?
Vallin: In 2012 I took Colm Mulcahy’s MAA minicourse “Mathemagic with a Deck of Cards” at MAA MathFest. It was a toss-up between that and one on differential equations, so between something for me or something for my classes. It just resonated. Then as I read books (like Diaconis and Graham’s “Magical Mathematics: The Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks” I was hooked when I saw how tricks lead to some really deep ideas.
Chartier: So, did you start in math or magic?
Vallin: I started in math, wanted to be (imagine dour face) a serious mathematician. Then I went to math and magic and now magic.
Chartier: Did your magic always involve math?
Vallin: Hinted at above, first it was math and magic, but now (going on about 6 years) non-mathematical magic, too.
Chartier: Why is magic well suited to motivate and introduce mathematical ideas?
Vallin: Great question. First off, they both seek out people with an inquisitive nature. I remember being an undergraduate and walking into a classroom where the previous professor had not erased the board. I didn’t know what was up there and it (kind of) ate at me, that there was something I didn’t know yet and I wanted to learn it. The same thing with a trick or sleight. “How did she do that? Can I learn how to do it? What if we vary this part a little?” Those questions are suitable for both math and magic.
Chartier: Can you show us one of your favorite tricks?
Vallin: Here is a trick that anyone can do! Interested in why it works?
Want to learn how? Read this description of some related tricks and see if you can uncover the math behind the trick you just saw.
https://web.northeastern.edu/seigen/11Magic/Hummer/baby%20hummer.pdf.
Chartier: Suppose I want to learn some magic for class; where do I begin? How do I know I’m ready to perform?
Vallin: You know this is more than one question, right? First, let me give some plugs here. For older people, Martin Gardner books have some of his articles that talked about magic. Then there’s Colm’s old articles for MAA Online and his book “Mathematical Card Magic.” Second, with mathematical tricks that involve no sleight of hand, as soon as you know the trick, you’re ready. Two things (and I say this as someone whose hand still shakes when I do tricks): the audience wants you to do well, no one will be upset if you fumble and the only way to get better is to get out there, so go for it!
Chartier: Is there a mathematical trick we beginners can learn and with not too, too much practice be ready to perform?
Vallin: Yes, it is a Steinmeyer’s Nine-Card Trick by Jim Steinmeyer. You can learn the trick by reading the April 2015 Mathematics Magazine article, Revelations and Generalizations of the Nine Card Problem, by Breeanne Baker Swart and Brittany Shelton. [MAA members can view the article here.]
Chartier: Anything else you’d like everyone to know?
Vallin: I am sure there is lots, but I don’t think you want a speech here. However, I will say this: Don’t be afraid of trying something new and different (as I did taking the MAA minicourse), you never know where it will take you. Don’t be afraid to enjoy yourself. So many people poo-poo the idea of recreational mathematics because it sounds too lighthearted for a professional (same with math and sports or math and art). If it brings you joy, then it is the math you should be doing.
Tim Chartier is the Joseph R. Morton Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Davidson College.