Gilbert Strang never set out to be an internet celebrity. He just wanted to teach math.
For 61 years, the MIT professor has been standing at the chalkboard, leading students through linear algebra, a subject that sounds boring until you realize it's the quiet force behind everything from Netflix recommendations to ChatGPT. When he finally stepped away in May 2023, at the age of 88, more than 6,000 people watched his last lecture live and the room gave him a standing ovation that went on long after he finished speaking.
But Strang’s true gift to the world was not to be found in that lecture room. It was on the internet and it was free.
The math most people didn’t know they needed
Linear algebra is the kind of thing you don't talk about at dinner parties. But if you use a smartphone, stream music or interact with any AI tool, you are very much living inside one.
