# ESP Biography

## YUAN YAO, MIT junior interested in math and comp-sci.

Major: 18, 6-3

College/Employer: MIT

## Brief Biographical Sketch:

A Chinese guy with short black hair and glasses. Height is approximately 5’ 7”.

## Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

X13229: Introduction to Sudoku in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
Ever seen some grid of numbers on a newspaper titled "Sudoku" and have no idea how to solve them? Fear not! This class will introduce you to the wonderful world of Sudoku and teach the most common techniques used in solving sudokus. There will also be chances to try your hands at some easy/intermediate-level sudokus (and have fun)! The class is intended for students with little or no prior experience with solving Sudoku.

X13230: Competitive Sudoku Solving in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
Have you been solving sudokus for fun and looking to sharpen your skills? Not satisfied with ordinary sudokus and wanting to learn more? We will meet all your needs to become a sudoku master! This class introduces some more advanced techniques for solving sudokus, and study some sudoku variants. You will also have a chance to face off against other fellow students in a mock sudoku competition!

X11571: Introduction to Puzzle Hunting in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
Interested in challenging yourself in unexpected areas? Fond of doing Sudoku or crossword or trivia games? Simply wanting to figure things out? Come explore the world of puzzle hunting, which is probably nothing like any of your previous experiences of puzzling! Learn about the basics of puzzle hunting, the common techniques in solving puzzles, and try your hands at some of the puzzle from hunts like the MIT Mystery Hunt. No previous experience required!

M11816: From Rational Approximation of $$\sqrt{2}$$ to Pell's Equation in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
We know that $$\sqrt{2}=1.41421...$$ is not a rational number, but $$\frac{99}{70}=1.41428...$$ comes pretty close. The class will cover how to get this number, and how to get closer using various methods, and introduce Pell's Equation as a powerful tool for approximating other radicals.