Creator of Mathematics System for the Blind Speaks at Penn State

It was impressive to hear from Dr. Abraham Nemeth, the historic mathematics professor who developed the standard system of Braille used for math in the sciences.  Recording of the lecture available online.  He worked on Computer Science projects at Penn State in 1968 and 1969.  He had a map of Penn State in cloth with embroidered routes and notes of braille posted on locations in code for look up in another braille book.  After studying it he could get to McAllister with no trouble on his own.  A very amusing lecturer, I would have enjoyed sitting in his math courses.  He had some comments about the lack of air conditioning at Penn State dormitories.

He started from the beginning - born blind, he grew up in NYC (New York Jewish Guild for the Blind).  He had many experiences growing up blind - learning NYC, writing letters with rubber stamps, touching objects including neon lights.  He went on errands and made change as a boy, and even today keeps up in math by solving problems in physics/chemistry/math textbooks as recreation.  He has electrician skills, like installing wiring, which started by circuit diagram drawing.  It was interesting how he practiced using a soldering iron (used a pencil to direct the soldering iron, melting solder smell is indication it was done)

Arithmetic was a problem already in elementary school, because the method for working was slow.  In high school he tutored someone as a 9th grader in math and took as much math as possible.  Then in Brooklyn College he took lots of math again during the depression years.  He was told that a Math Major is out of bounds, since there were no materials and a reader would need to be very skilled.  So he did a psychology major instead, even a Masters from Columbia.  First job was with the American Federation for the Blind as unskilled labor.  Then his wife worked while he pursued an advanced Math degree, asking him "Wouldn't you rather be an unemployed Mathematician than an unemployed Psychologist."

The existing Taylor code was only good for elementary algebra. He had to figure out all these things - his experience with print letters helped since letters are used to reference SO many things in English "t-square", etc.  Nemeth code uses such print oriented references.  It was only for his use, until someone else blind needed a integral table and this person was on a international committee (1952).  While teaching math, he would tell students stories of inspirational mathematicians or problems.

When asked about his favorite branch of mathematics (by our local Diane Henderson) he said calculus and analysis because it is so precise (though his dissertation was in topology)  If you are teaching a blind math student, would you as a teacher need to know the Nemeth code? Yes, you need to check his work.  Also if he came across an expression he didn't know you would need to explain it.  You don't have to learn the whole code, just learn the part that is in your area of interest (for example, only the signs for the expressions you use)