John Mighton
Encyclopedia
John Mighton, OC
is a Canadian
author
and mathematician
. He is the founder of JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), a charitable organization that works to educate students in mathematics. He is the author of The Myth of Ability (2003) and The End of Ignorance (2007). Mighton is also a playwright, and has been the recipient of three Governor General Awards for his plays which include Possible Worlds
, The Little Years, Body & Soul, Scientific Americans, A Short History of Night, and Half Life. He has also been the recipient of the prestigious Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
for playwriting. John also advised Gus Van Sant
, Matt Damon
, and Ben Affleck
on the script for Good Will Hunting
while it was shot in Toronto
; and as an actor in the film, his one major line is a reference to his main idea in The Myth of Ability, which is that most people never get a chance because a teacher doesn't take the time to show them how to learn.
Dr. Mighton completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Toronto
and was awarded an NSERC fellowship for postdoctoral research in knot
and graph theory
. He is currently a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and has also taught mathematics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Mighton also lectured in philosophy at McMaster University
, where he received a Masters in philosophy.
In 2004, Mighton was elected as a Fellow of Ashoka
in recognition for his work founding JUMP. In 2010, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
Mighton was born in Hamilton, Ontario
on 2 October 1957 and lives in Toronto, Ontario with partner Pamela Sinha and daughter Chloe.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. He is the founder of JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), a charitable organization that works to educate students in mathematics. He is the author of The Myth of Ability (2003) and The End of Ignorance (2007). Mighton is also a playwright, and has been the recipient of three Governor General Awards for his plays which include Possible Worlds
Possible Worlds (play)
Possible Worlds, written in 1990 by John Mighton, is part murder mystery, part science-fiction, and part mathematical philosophy, and follows the multiple parallel lives of the mysterious George Barber. At the play's beginning, George is found dead, with his brain missing...
, The Little Years, Body & Soul, Scientific Americans, A Short History of Night, and Half Life. He has also been the recipient of the prestigious Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
Siminovitch Prize in Theatre
The Siminovitch Prize in Theatre is given to recognize achievement in Canadian theatre; specifically, professional directors, playwrights and designers in three-year cycles...
for playwriting. John also advised Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
, Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, and Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
on the script for Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård...
while it was shot in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; and as an actor in the film, his one major line is a reference to his main idea in The Myth of Ability, which is that most people never get a chance because a teacher doesn't take the time to show them how to learn.
Dr. Mighton completed a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and was awarded an NSERC fellowship for postdoctoral research in knot
Knot theory
In topology, knot theory is the study of mathematical knots. While inspired by knots which appear in daily life in shoelaces and rope, a mathematician's knot differs in that the ends are joined together so that it cannot be undone. In precise mathematical language, a knot is an embedding of a...
and graph theory
Graph theory
In mathematics and computer science, graph theory is the study of graphs, mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects from a certain collection. A "graph" in this context refers to a collection of vertices or 'nodes' and a collection of edges that connect pairs of...
. He is currently a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and has also taught mathematics at the University of Toronto. Dr. Mighton also lectured in philosophy at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, where he received a Masters in philosophy.
In 2004, Mighton was elected as a Fellow of Ashoka
Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
Ashoka: Innovators for the Public is a nonprofit organization based in Arlington, VA, supporting the field of social entrepreneurship. Ashoka was founded by Bill Drayton in 1981 to identify and support leading social entrepreneurs through a Social Venture Capital approach with the goal of...
in recognition for his work founding JUMP. In 2010, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Mighton was born in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
on 2 October 1957 and lives in Toronto, Ontario with partner Pamela Sinha and daughter Chloe.