Pushing Limits

Pushing Limits: From West Point to Berkeley and Beyond challenges the myth that mathematicians lead dull and ascetic lives. It recounts the unique odyssey of a noted mathematician who overcame military hurdles at West Point, Army Ranger School and the Vietnam War, and survived many civilian escapades--hitchhiking in third-world hotspots, fending off sharks in Bahamian reefs, and camping deep behind the forbidding Iron Curtain. From ultra-conservative West Point in the '60s to ultra-radical Berkeley in the '70s, and ultimately to genteel Georgia Tech in the '80s, this is the tale of an academic career as noteworthy for its offbeat adventures as for its teaching and research accomplishments. It brings to life the struggles and risks underlying mathematical research, the unparalleled thrill of making scientific breakthroughs, and the joy of sharing those discoveries around the world. Hill's book is packed with energy, humor, and suspense, both physical and intellectual. Anyone who is curious about how a maverick mathematician thinks, who wants to relive the zanier side of the '60s and '70s, who wants an armchair journey into the third world, or who seeks an unconventional viewpoint about some of our more revered institutions, will be drawn to this book.

" ... captivating memoir reveals an intriguing character who is part Renaissance Man, part Huckleberry Finn. Fast-paced and often hilarious ... provides some penetrating and impious insights into some of our more revered institutions."—Rick Atkinson, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, author of The Long Gray Line"Ted Hill is an original. Mathematician. Adventurer. Activist. His life has seen both his mind and body tested to extremes… insightful, entertaining and—in a very good way—unlike any other book you will ever read by a mathematician."—Alex Bellos, author of Here’s Looking at Euclid and The Grapes of Math"Spell-binding accounts of events actually experienced... Ted Hill...challeng(es) normative value systems in startling ways but of impish consequences."—Michael Klass, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, U.C. Berkeley"I loved the book. Extraordinary job of making scenes come alive...with great energy and really good dialog."—David Ignatius, Columnist and Associate Editor at The Washington Post, author of Body of Lies"This [memoir]...will thrill and perplex the reader, by the seamless mixture of mind-adventure and body adventure, and for the unconventional academic path traveled by its author. Hill perpetually runs into trouble with authorities...[but] befriends mathematicians all over the world... With verve and nerve, Hill writes the story of...a life that touches on the highly exceptional, rich in friendship, thought, and humane warmth."—Mircea Pitici, Cornell University, Editor of Best Writing on Mathematics"Ted Hill has led an exciting life, and his vivid stories shed light on some remarkable times and places. Mathematicians will especially appreciate his chapters on graduate school and his early professional life; he brings our shared experiences to life in a way that only an outstanding writer can do."—Walter Stromquist, past Editor of Mathematics Magazine"Ted Hill paints vivid pictures of his life in the military and academia. From West Point and Vietnam to Berkeley and Georgia Tech, his trials and hair-raising adventures are highly entertaining and informative."—Bill Sudderth, Professor Emeritus of Statistics, U. of Minnesota"Ted Hill took a very unusual route to...mathematics: a military start and a stint in Vietnam, followed by a first-rate degree at one of the top programs in the world (Berkeley) and a highly successful career. This path, in addition to providing him with many adventures, has allowed him to look at thing(s) a little differently than most mathematicians..."—Stan Wagon, Macalester College, winner of MAA Ford Prize, author of The Banach-Tarski Paradox

Ted Hill, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA, and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA.