Ed Pegg
From Ed Pegg's mathoverflow network profile.
"I run the site www.mathpuzzle.com[1], and used to be the main advisor for the TV show Numb3rs. I've contributed extensively to MathWorld. Before that, I wrote the Math Games columns for the MAA. I am now the chief editor for the Wolfram Demonstrations Project."[1]
Figure 1; Ed Pegg Jr
Ed Pegg is continuing the tradition of the recreational mathematician. He keeps the legacy of Martin Gardner alive and makes his own unique contributions to the mathematical landscape as he adopts the roles of puzzler, expositor, researcher, collaborator, blogger, writer and software designer.
One particular set of Ed Pegg's interests has concerned the dissection of squares, particularly the Mrs Perkins's Quilt problem. In 2010, Richard Guy suggested to Ed Pegg Jr that they compile all their findings and methods for a paper. Many of the larger optimal quilts were identified by Geoffrey Morley, from publications on squared squares by Duijvestijn. The enumeration of higher orders of squared squares should result in many new optimal quilts. Ed Pegg contacted Stuart Anderson who was cataloging squared squares (on this website). Shortly after Stuart Anderson and Ed Pegg wrote some new software for finding squared squares and quilts and Ed Pegg made available his new multi-core PC to run it. This was the first attempt at squared square enumeration of a complete order (28) since order 26 by Duijvestijn (1996) and order 27 Skinner (2003). After the computer programs ran for a number of months, a number of new optimal Mrs Perkins's quilt discoveries were made in orders 28 and 29. Optimal quilts of all sizes up to 1967 (order 29) were found. Perfect squares for orders up to 28 and a large portion of order 29 were explored, along with a complete listing of imperfect squared squares up to order 28.
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