RIP - Page 12

ixfd64 · 2012-12-21, 23:08

A sad day for GIMPS. :-(

jasonp · 2012-12-23, 22:37

Richard's book Topics in Advanced Scientific Computation was pretty much the first book that got me interested in computational number theory and fast arithmetic. After I emailed him some programming questions on Fermat arithmetic he asked me at random in 1998 to help with the primality test on F24.

He also postal-mailed a draft of Crandall&Pomerance which first got me interested in integer factorization (I even found a small mistake!), though it wasn't until years later that I started coding up the algorithms in earnest.

I collaborated with him on small projects off and on over the years, and it was clear he had a huge range of expertise. Many of the resulting reports are still deep inside Apple's web site. Perfectly Scientific was 'an algorithm consulting company, one of the very few' and he solved different problems that seemed to have nothing to do with each other. Once in a while he'd just email you asking for help on something, and you jumped to do it because he was freakin' Richard Crandall.

Other than that, I don't have much to add that hasn't been said elsewhere. It's been a privilege to know him.

rogue · 2012-12-23, 23:23

I am one of a number in this forum who have worked with him over the years. He got me interested in the search for Wieferich primes and in writing OpenCL code. Unlike many of the others here, I was not fortunate to co-author a paper with him, thus my Erdos number remains at infinity. He did mention my work in one of his publications though and for that I am grateful.

LaurV · 2012-12-24, 06:46

As we have a thread somewhere around about Cantor-Zassenhaus algorithm, and I looked a bit for the authors, I found out that David G Cantor passed away end of November this year, and I did not find any reference to him in this thread. I think he really worth a mention. Rest in peace!

Edit: About Richard Crandall's death:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewmayer

http://experimentalmath.info/blog/20...ll-dies-at-64/

You may throw the stone to me now, but I don't like that article, it looks to me like they want to capitalize on the death of a grand master... And that list? Crap, a link would have been enough. Rest in peace!

jasonp · 2012-12-24, 15:49

LaurV, David Bailey and the Borweins are grandmasters in their own right, and the list of papers gives a hint about all the pies Richard had his fingers in. Experimental mathematics was a subject that always fascinated him.

Perfectly Scientific's web page doesn't mention anything, alas.

philmoore · 2012-12-25, 02:13

A student of mine had played poker with Richard in Portland and seemed somewhat in awe of him as a poker player!

As far as GIMPS goes, besides the DWT inspiration, Richard's ECM routines written in C provided the starting point for George's ECM modules in Prime95, so he really must be considered a prime mover to the GIMPS effort. I'm sorry that I never met him in person.

rogue · 2012-12-26, 17:57

Jack Klugman

xilman · 2012-12-26, 17:58

Gerry Anderson

kladner · 2013-01-04, 02:48

Patti Page. Lovely voice. Wild outfit.

jasonp · 2013-01-07, 18:05

See the 'Unhappy Me' thread for further word on Bob Silverman's leukemia diagnosis.

davieddy · 2013-01-08, 16:08

Scary thing is that he was only born a year before my Dad.

2013-01-04, 02:48	#130
kladner "Kieren" Jul 2011 In My Own Galaxy! 23656₈ Posts	Patti Page. Lovely voice. Wild outfit. Last fiddled with by kladner on 2013-01-04 at 02:49

2013-01-08, 16:08	#132
davieddy "Lucan" Dec 2006 England 2×3×13×83 Posts	UK's oldest man dies Scary thing is that he was only born a year before my Dad.

2012-12-21, 23:08	#122
ixfd64 Bemusing Prompter "Danny" Dec 2002 California 956₁₆ Posts	A sad day for GIMPS. :-(

2012-12-23, 22:37	#123
jasonp Tribal Bullet Oct 2004 DD5₁₆ Posts	Richard's book Topics in Advanced Scientific Computation was pretty much the first book that got me interested in computational number theory and fast arithmetic. After I emailed him some programming questions on Fermat arithmetic he asked me at random in 1998 to help with the primality test on F24. He also postal-mailed a draft of Crandall&Pomerance which first got me interested in integer factorization (I even found a small mistake!), though it wasn't until years later that I started coding up the algorithms in earnest. I collaborated with him on small projects off and on over the years, and it was clear he had a huge range of expertise. Many of the resulting reports are still deep inside Apple's web site. Perfectly Scientific was 'an algorithm consulting company, one of the very few' and he solved different problems that seemed to have nothing to do with each other. Once in a while he'd just email you asking for help on something, and you jumped to do it because he was freakin' Richard Crandall. Other than that, I don't have much to add that hasn't been said elsewhere. It's been a privilege to know him.

2012-12-23, 23:23	#124
rogue "Mark" Apr 2003 Between here and the 11×577 Posts	I am one of a number in this forum who have worked with him over the years. He got me interested in the search for Wieferich primes and in writing OpenCL code. Unlike many of the others here, I was not fortunate to co-author a paper with him, thus my Erdos number remains at infinity. He did mention my work in one of his publications though and for that I am grateful.

2012-12-24, 15:49	#126
jasonp Tribal Bullet Oct 2004 3,541 Posts	LaurV, David Bailey and the Borweins are grandmasters in their own right, and the list of papers gives a hint about all the pies Richard had his fingers in. Experimental mathematics was a subject that always fascinated him. Perfectly Scientific's web page doesn't mention anything, alas.

2012-12-25, 02:13	#127
philmoore "Phil" Sep 2002 Tracktown, U.S.A. 3·373 Posts	A student of mine had played poker with Richard in Portland and seemed somewhat in awe of him as a poker player! As far as GIMPS goes, besides the DWT inspiration, Richard's ECM routines written in C provided the starting point for George's ECM modules in Prime95, so he really must be considered a prime mover to the GIMPS effort. I'm sorry that I never met him in person.

2012-12-26, 17:57	#128
rogue "Mark" Apr 2003 Between here and the 11×577 Posts	Jack Klugman

2012-12-26, 17:58	#129
xilman Bamboozled! "𒉺𒌌𒇷𒆷𒀭" May 2003 Down not across 10,753 Posts	Gerry Anderson

2013-01-07, 18:05	#131
jasonp Tribal Bullet Oct 2004 3,541 Posts	See the 'Unhappy Me' thread for further word on Bob Silverman's leukemia diagnosis.