[trcollinson]

One of my absolute favorite mathematicians is Persi Diaconis who is mentioned in this paper and was the original basis for this area of research. Well worth learning about. He was a runaway. Then a magician, trained by Dai Vernon and worked along side people like the late Ricky Jay and Richard Turner. He went on to get PhD from Harvard and got a MacArthur Fellowship. He is a legend.

Ricky Jay talking about his childhood friend Persi: https://believermag.com/an-interview-with-ricky-jay/

Persi on Numberphile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJubaijQbI

A great lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xit5LDwJVck

[Syzygies]

Persi is also one my absolute favorite mathematicians. I had the good fortune to write "Trailing the dovetail shuffle to its lair" (Seven shuffles suffice) with him.

[trcollinson]

Wait... You wrote it with him? Are you Dave Bayer? That's amazing! What was it like working together? And absolutely fantastic paper! I have so many questions lol

[roperzh]

Thanks for the last link! I didn't watch that one

[iainctduncan]

Thanks, I hadn't seen the Ricky Jay, sweeeet.