From Ronald Ross to ChatGPT: The Birth and Strange Life of the Random Walk

Explore the fascinating history and modern applications of random walks in this 54-minute lecture by Jordan Ellenberg, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Delve into the simultaneous and independent development of random walk theory between 1905 and 1910 across multiple countries and disciplines. Discover how the concept originated from diverse fields, including Ronald Ross's work on mosquito control in the UK, physics, finance, and even theological arguments. Learn about the connection between random walks, Markov processes, and current artificial intelligence approaches. Gain insights into Ellenberg's collaboration with DeepMind and hear his thoughts on the present and future capabilities of AI systems. This University of Oxford presentation offers a unique perspective on the birth and evolution of a fundamental concept in applied mathematics and its surprising impact on modern technology.