His statistics Professor must be recognized and awarded too, for not stealing it and taking the credit.

That reminds me of the time I myself was late for class. There was a problem written on the blackboard of which I thought it might be homework. So I spent a week trying to solve it. Then it hit me, that was surely an unsolvable problem! The next week I told the professor I tried hard, but failed to solve the problem, thus concluding it has to be unsolvable. Turned out, it was a normal homework assignment and I was just bad at it.

A similar thing happened to me, though obviously on a vastly smaller scale. I was taking my maths degree at Oxford (which was a mistake - I would have done better at a less pressured university), and had a reputation as a poor student. I hadn't left myself much time to complete my homework and did it in a rush. In my tutorial my tutor looked at me oddly, and asked if I'd read this one question. I thought I had, but she added "and did you notice the part at the bottom pointing you to the section of the book that explains how to tackle questions like this?" I think I blushed, because I'd been going too fast to notice it. But she hadn't finished. "Well, congratulations. You've come up with a much better way of solving the problem. This is far more elegant, and I'll be using it in future." Best maths moment of my life. I wish I could remember what the question was!

Towards the end of my senior year in high school, I met with my HS school guidance instructor. When he asked me what I was going to do after graduation, I told him I was going to go to UT in Austin, TX. He smirked and told me to go to the local community college instead and learn a trade. Many years later, after obtaining my degree in economics and my juris doctorate, I ran into him at a grocery store. When I reminded him of our conversation many years back and that he had been completely wrong about my intellectual abilities, he replied that he was not wrong. In fact, he said, it was his intention to challenge me. He explained that by pretending to have zero faith in my abilities, I became motivated to prove him wrong. I thought it was a clever way to get out of it.

I learned this in life: "If you don't know what you can't do, you can do anything".

"The person who says it can't be done should not interrupt the person already doing it." - Old Chinese Proverb

I'm 48 years old and lived my whole life in the US. I have met many, many more people who overestimate their ability, their knowledge, and their expertise, full of confidence, lacking introspection or any sense of self doubt, than people who just needed to believe in themselves in order to accomplish greatness.

Using the simplex method to solve linear programming is such an elegant way to solve the problem. Not many steps are taken in order to reach the optimal solutions and it saves a lot of time. The inventor of this method really helped moved society towards a better future because every industry is using his techniques to solve their problems which results in a more efficient production.

Imagine what he could have accomplished if he had not attended at all.

He never knew it was unsolvable that is why there was no limit for his brain to seek the answer...amazing story.

"I have never let school interfere with my education." Mark Twain

This is so true. I have fixed problems very easily when I thought they were easy and others thought they were difficult. It's in our mindset.

He's lucky the Professor didn't take all the credit!

A friend told me a story about her grandfather who was a mathematics professor. He had a student who came to one class and received a 98% as a final grade. The professor met the young man and asked him how he attained the mark he got when he only attended one class. The student’s reply, ‘Well sir, I think the first class confused me.’

Once upon a time, I took an exam for my Chemical Structures and Bonding class and solved a problem using 2 ratios of unknown quantities which allowed me to give a quantitative answer. The prof brought up my answer later saying she was only looking for a qualitative answer and did not know it was possible to solve it quantitatively. Felt good!

Got to admire anyone that solves a math problem with a fountain pen.

As one joke says: Never say, that something cannot be done, because there is always some idiot, who doesn't know about that and will do it :)

That’s why I firmly believe in a saying: “If we all think the same, then no one is thinking.” 🤓

The mind is powerful. He unlocked that hidden potential we gain with determination. He never knew it was unsolvable so that doubt obstacle never arose.

This story is true. I met George Danzig back in the early 80's at an Operations Research conference. He was a humble regular guy.

Many people will say "ha, you just have to believe in yourself" and forget the 17 years of tough prep that George's math teacher dad gave to him growing up.

1st requirement of being a true teacher: Don't tell your students that anything is unsolvable. Tell them it hasn't been solved... yet.

He took "It's all a part of the plan." to a next level.

The world mathematicians: This is impossible to solve! George: I missed the part where that's my problem.

Context: " Go late to lecture to unlock your full potential."

I was horrible in regular math and when I had to take Algebra I knew I'd get an "F". Not only did I get an "F" for the class, I got an "F" on every test, exam and homework assignment. I asked my teacher for help, with tutoring, willing to come to school early, stay late, skip lunch to study to no avail. His time was his time and it was up to me todo the work. The last day of school my Algebra teacher told me I would amount to nothing. I'd be a complete and utter failure in life. I graduated all right by the skin of my teeth. I joined the Army and when I got out I became a police officer. I was working traffic enforcement one day when I stopped this speeding car. It was being driven by my former Algebra teacher. I recognized him immediately and of course he had no clue who I was, other then the cop that just pulled him over. He asked for a break, one more chance, willing to do anything to get out of the ticket. He promised he would obey all traffic laws and be a better driver.I asked him, do you remember an Algebra student who got "F's' on everything and asked for help? He was willing to come to school early, skip lunch, stay late for a little tutoring. You told him he would amount to nothing and be a complete and utter failure in life. That student was me and here is your traffic ticket.

My father, born in 1921, went to school in OK and had to drop out pick cotton, his dad was a Constable, he went back to school and was able to up even going up 6 grades higher, joined Navy, electrical Engineer and all that helping his big family as the youngest boy during depression on up! Amazing the drive people have to accomplish dreams ❤

Read the book "The Man Who Knew Infinity", about an Indian boy who solved theorems that University math professors could not. His name was Ramanajuan. He was constantly writing equations on scrap paper, on metal with pieces of coal, whatever he could find. He died young while at Cambridge University from pneumonia in the late 1890s. His equations are still being discovered to solve modern day problems in space, etc.

He’s lucky the professor didn’t claim the answers as his own

"The Fool didn't knew that he couldn't do it , so he did it "

something similar happened to me at my company. A problem that was being worked on for 25 years was assigned to me when I was first hired... 5 months later, while I was thinking I was going to be fired for not finding the answer quick enough, the answer came to me. I was on a call, and in a meeting, and wanted to run to the lab to try my new theory, and while I couldn't at the time, when I realized I solved it, I was elated! it was only after I presented my findings that I was let in on the secret that nobody had figured it out.. before I did.. Thank you for this! I love stories like this!

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe that it’s the truth. Our problems are a result of our perception. Effectively - telling ourselves it’s impossible takes away our belief that it’s impossible!

imagine your a scientist and heard that the unsolved question you were trying to solve was just solve by a person late to class everyday and just took a few days when you took years

Anyone who does math in ink must be a genius.

In my high school final exam for probability and statistics class, there was one problem that I could not recall ever having encountering during the semester, so I just used what I knew and derived what I thought would be the formula to calculate the odds. It turned out to be correct and when afterward I asked my teacher the following semester, she show me how the problem was suppose to be solved (according to the teacher's manual) and it turned out I had derived a different approach to solving the problem just not the way the people who designed the exam thought it should be done.

I'm a maths student Now I'm struggling with an assignment form the past two days....and feel too exhausted ...... This story inspires me to solve that problem and regains my self belief

A slacker?........No, not hardly. He was a brilliant person who “marched to the beat of a different drummer.” It takes all kinds to make this world.👍

bruhhhh imagine coming late to class then accidentally solving one of the worlds most mysterious questions thinking it was homework.

"I didn't know that it was impossible. I just did what I had to do." For centuries, college professors have dreaded hearing such words... and their students have dared to surprise themselves anyway.

There is a story of a philosophy professor who gave an exam and the question was simple. He writes the world "Why?" on the board and students are writing, filling up blue book after blue book. However one student turns in a very short answer and gets an A. The answer he wrote was "why not?" Another one: I knew someone that had a college essay question. It was What is the riskiest thing you have done in your life? He drew a big X through the question and sent it back. (back before college applications were computerized). He got accepted.

"I'm not going to talk about his childhood..." *Proceeds to talk about his childhood*

Showing algebra to describe "the boy was solving geometry problems" .... two demerits.

Great story, great unsung hero, great moral to the story. If you don't know what you can't do, there's less stopping you from doing it.

My dad drove a chicken truck in Mississippi in the early 1930s. There was a depression. He went on to earn 3 masters degrees from MIT and was a Captain in the Naval Reserve. You can do many things if you are not told that it is impossible.

For those who don't have patience... Kid comes late to class and accidentally answers problems that he thought were the homework but were in reality 2 "unsolvable" math problems. Done

I love showing up arrogant teachers. I remember my little sister, 4 years younger struggling with high school math. The teacher tried to put her on the spot by doing the home work on the blackboard. Little did he know I showed her how to do the homework faster using Calculus that would not be taught for several more years and she understood it. The teacher did not have a lot to say when other students did not understand her method yet she had the correct answer.

Perception, Perspective, and Interpretation are everything!

Certainly not nearly to this extent but in school I'd struggled a bit with Calculus and thus made an honest attempt at grasping the subject to the very best of my ability by working every problem in the entire textbook by hand on paper, in and out, back and forth, until I became quite proficient. There was one last problem in the textbook which I hadn't attempted to work through and thus decided I was prepared. This was no doubt the most challenging problem in the entire book so I knew I must tackle it to prove to myself I'd learned how to perform Calculus to the greatest extent possible from this textbook. Well, my result differed from the result given in the textbook and by following through the example I'd concluded the author had made a mistake! So, I presented my finding to the professor, explaining I believed there was a mistake in this challenging textbook example. He completely blew me off and was not in the least bit interested.

The great thing about solving impossible problems is that there's no competition. If everybody believes it's impossible, you're the only one trying.

I'm guessing when George went to do a PHD, the Uni told him to just use his old homework as his PHD thesis.

This story reminds me of a friend. We were studying Logic at high school and he was always kinda distracted in class or arrived late. When the final exam arrived, I used the logical solution the teacher was expecting from us to solve it. However, my friend came up with a totally different solution we had not studied to solve it. He of course had it right to my surprise and the shocked face of the teacher. We always remember that moment fondly and laugh at it. He went on to study telecommunications engineering.

I was taking my first college level chemistry course and was quite anxious about it. I decided I would have to try extra hard to be good at it. On final exam, my calculator died. Yes, these were ancient times. I told the instructor, hoping there would be one I could borrow. There was not. I had to do all the calculations by hand, and they were long. I thought I would flunk out. Turns out, I had the highest grade in the class and the teacher asked if I would tutor other students, which I did.

My mother always said, "They said it couldn't be done but the darn fool didn't know it and went ahead and did it anyway."

Never tell kids that something is impossible. You'll stunt their abilities. Instead only present them the challenges.

I agree with George saying he would not have tried to solve the maths problem if he had heard that no one has been able to solve it. The professor could have stolen George’s work and told everyone he solved the problem. What a great guy he was.

Love the story. This reminds me of the book: The obstacle is the way. Sometimes The solution is the problem itself. But in this the problem is the framing of the problem, not the actual problem. We create our own impossible wall by focusing on the "impediment." I wonder how many more "geniuses" would have solved it if the professor had said he was providing an "easy" riddle for those that wanted extra credit.

I once told my boss to bring me any product that the customer told him they had been told "it couldn't be printed" and I would find a way to do it. Three years later we had 20 printers working full time, all employing my tricks. The "think out of the box" "don't give up" "It can be done" attitude. is real, It can MAKE NEW THINGS HAPPEN.

Luke: “I don’t believe it!” Yoda: “That is why you fail.”

Thanks! now ill always attend my classes 20 min late

This reminds me when I was working construction and on weekends I was a janitor as a very prestigious college. One of the math professors used to put on a chalk board in the hallway and I anonymously solved equations until I got caught. Since I grew up in a foster home I was in trouble with the police a lot. The math professor found me and got me a deal with the court as long as I saw a therapist. The therapist helped me finally get my life straightened out. Now I make bank doing classified math problems. I live in California with my wife who's a British Dr.

Einstein said 'Imagination is more useful than knowledge ' I was wrong, he said it " ... is more important than ... ".

Man didn’t know it was impossible, so he did it.

My Dad, a math professor, told me a version of this story when I was growing up as a lesson about assumptions. Just because everyone tells you something is impossible, doesn’t mean it is.

Thank God for outliers and the teachers who do not automatically dismiss them. Needed more of this during Covid.

When “impossible” becomes “I’m possible”.

I feel that not believing in ourselves is the largest problem to solve. Another though is the normal human routine is, if there's a problem which is deemed too difficult, nothing ensues.

This is too motivational for a guy who needs to sleep

For 40 years I taught math and physics courses at the university level. From time to time I would make out an exam for the students and include a problem that I had not already solved, assuming that I could solve it before grading the students exams. On a few occasions I found I could not solve the problem. However, in most instances there was one or more students who submitted a correct solution. Pressure appears to at times allow us to accomplish what we could not do under normal conditions. I tried to award those students accordingly.

Narrator: he's not a genius But yet still he solved something no one in the world could I don't know what you called that but it sounds pretty genius to me

My Mother had a saying, "He was young and innocent and didn't know it couldn't be done, so he did it anyway."

Loved this story .. it has a lot in it for all of us to learn n grow from .. the fact that it was an ‘unsolvable’ problem was a problem… because if the problem was even presented at all tells that there’s an answer .. just not yet. I’m glad that this regular student who was willing to do the work figured it out .. I hated math n my mom used to tell me you’d better learn it because when you grow up you’ll have to figure out mathematical issues everyday … I thought she was crazy … and then I grew up .. I’m good at math now n very quick .. life’s funny isn’t it ?

Reminds me of my math class in college. Teacher thought I was the laziest student by never buying her extra book of notes to help with the math class. I kept quiet and did the work. At the end of class I was the highest rank student.

This is why your kid can operate things you think are impossible. They don't know that they can't !!

The Philosophy of Bruce Lee …..“Using no way as a way, having no limitation as limitation”

If I where a teacher, I would cherish a student that knows better than me instead trying to lowering him/her down.

My late Mother attended schools in England during the nineteen twenties. She was hopeless at math. One test she handed in to be marked was reviewed by the teacher and when returned, bore the notation, "I have given you 10 marks out of 100 because your answers are so neatly written but all so neatly wrong."

A classic : he did it because he didn't know it was impossible.

Going forward I'll be 20 minutes late for everything.

Back the day, you could trust many of the professors wouldn't steal credit from his students.

The Slackers rarely do well In life.This story is an exceptional situation.

Most geniuses are broke - money is not a motivator, challenges are.

A friend of mine in high school was in AP math and solved the derivative of x on his own without it being first explain to him. in his words it just made sense. There was a test and his answer took a quarter page of work. The rest of the class including the teacher needed two pages to show their work. His Professor did not understand his method and had to go to his old college professor to get it explained to him and then my friend got to explain it to the whole class. a real genius. He worked in computer programming for a while and the last time I looked he's selling real estate. Kind of weird but how many people are working in their planned occupation?

I have a similar story. I missed a lecture for Sophomore level Assembly Language class. The assignment was to create a program using a dummy machine code with limited memory and few registers. I struggled for a long time to fit everything into the tiny space without the tools from the lecture I missed. I eventually solved it by having the program rewrite parts of itself in memory as it executed. The prof told me I had reinvented one of the basic principles of AI programming. He still only gave me a B because I didn't use the method I was supposed to learn which admitedly would have been much easier for the problem.

My father had a similar story. He graduated HS when he was 21 because he'd been diagnosed with diabetes a few years before. That would have been 1924. I am not sure what year he graduated college in Florida in, I would have to look that up. But I am thinking he waited a few years before going. A professor presented the problem on the board and said it was unsolvable. Daddy rolled up his sleeves and got to work. And he solved it! He tried in later years to explain what the problem was and what the answer meant but my eyes glazed over. I have always wondered what the problem was. I wonder if it was this same one....He had a brilliant mind and worked at Oat Ridge during WW II. later he taught HS science and loved it.

when will educators learn? - NEVER say "can't be done"; students end up believing it & the world loses.

My dad, a pathologist, was in a meeting with colleagues who were presenting cases on a powerpoint. One doctor was presenting a biopsy of a colon in which cancer had been ruled out and he was seeking input on what it could be. My dad, whose mind had wandered so he did not hear that cancer had been ruled out, was asked directly what he thought and he emphatically declared that it was cancer. A week or so later the doctor called my dad and informed him that since he had been so emphatic he ordered another biopsy and they found the cancer. He may have saved the patient's life by not listening in a meeting.

People who are very talented have a gift to see through the problems that arise in front of them with ease .. while the rest of us struggle ..they seem to know were everything goes without much thought ... It's like they can clearly see the finished product ... They just have to decide how to get there...

Professor: “why are you late?” Me: “I wan’t to solve the unsolvable.”

This story has brought to my mind an experience that I had in high school. I was in a plane geometry class that I found boring and very seldom turned in any home work. My instructor had a habit of assigning the most challenging problems from our text book to be presented on the class black board. The problem that he tasked me with kept me up most of the night until I discovered an obscure way around the problem's "trap". After I filled the class room boards with my solution my teacher said that my solution was accurate but that I had wasted allot of time involving unnecessary steps. I challenged him to show me a shorter proof for that problem. He then suggested that I should have used a particular axiom that would have made the problem much more easy to solve. I said to him that the method that he had now mentioned was not one that was available to us until the next chapter in our text book. For a few moments, he was without words. He said that the problem could not be solved without that particular axiom, but he stepped back from the board and thought about it and admitted that somehow I had managed to do what should not have been possible.

Why didn't he just ask a friend from his class what he'd miss? :P

Nice story to hear! This is the right person at the right place the right time! The missing of the fact about "nobody in the field has solved the problem" allowed him to focus on the problem itself! In my field of computer engineering, I also had similar incidents, although less dramatic and nobody would talked about... lol.

The best advice to Graduates be human and be real about your convictions.

This story truly is an example of "Where there is a will, there is a way," Remember: Just because someone says that something is unsolvable, does not mean that it can't be solved. All it takes is someone who is more than willing to give it a try, and keep at it and before you know it, an answer will come to you.

If at first you don't succeed, pass the assignment to one of your students.

My favorite movie, Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon

Moral of the story, always show up to class 20 minutes late 👍

Pippi Longstocking is a great series showing kids exactly this: "I never tried that before, so I should definitely be able to do it" I tell my son every day being stubborn (in Dutch we call it "your own way" ~ eigenwijs ~ an even more succinct definition of this trait) is a great trait to have. If I ever fall in the trap of telling him he is being stubborn, for sure he will tell me that it is a good thing. And knowing myself, I will step back and agree. Its just lazy parenting, ego or peer pressure to call your kid stubborn as a negative. It should be celebrated!

Imagine if there was a 3rd problem that deals with dividing by zero

Good to know that the professor was a honest man and did not hijack the solution for his own career and gave the student a B- for being 20 minutes late... Good man the professor!

Of course he is a genius. He was meant to solve it and the path followed.👍