Whiz Kid: Benjamin Kraft, Jet Setting Mathematician

It isn’t often that you hear mathematician and jet setting in the same sentence, but Benjamin Kraft was actually unavailable for an interview because he was being whisked off to Los Angeles for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair where he presented a paper on Entries of Random Matrices.

Kraft, a senior at , advanced to the competition after receiving a first place award in the category of mathematics during the Delaware Valley Science Fairs. His research “explores the problem of random grids and how they can be used to verify the properties of randomness of data for research,” according to his mother, Margot Hillman.

On May 13, Ben Kraft received a Special Award of $250 from the American Mathematical Society for his third place finish in the category of mathematics at the Intel ISEF for the paper.

He will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall as a mathematics major and has received the prestigious National Merit Scholarship for $2500, the winners of which are first entered into a finalist group by their exceptional scores on the PSAT/NMSQT. Individuals are chosen for the Merit Scholarship based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments as well as their academic record. As you read on, you will realize Kraft was a shoe-in.

From an early age, he knew it was mathematics that he wanted to pursue. “He’s been very fortunate that, after discovering he loved math at an early age,” said Hillman, “he had the opportunities to fly.”

Although Ben takes several advanced placement courses at Liberty like German 5 and advanced physics while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 4.8, he takes has taken his coursework in mathematics from Lehigh University. As a sophomore, he took honors calculus III at the collegiate level and then progressed to set theory as a junior. In his senior year, he took general topology in the fall and is currently taking algebraic topology.

“Theoretical math is what makes his heart sing,” says Hillman, who said that Kraft had to miss the Liberty High Choral Concert because he is en route to the Intel ISEF.

Last December, Ben presented the same research in China as he did in L.A. As one of 4 U.S. semi-finalists invited to an international competition for math research in Beijing, China. He ended up as a finalist in the Yau High School Math Awards. Ben was a finalist in the Yau High School Math and received an Honorable Mention in what was equivalent to a sixth place finish

“Liberty has been extremely supportive of these kids to arrange their schedules so that they can do what they need to do to excel,” Hillman.

How does a high school kid from Liberty end up taking college mathematics at Lehigh University?  In middle school, he participated in Mathcounts, a program that promotes math through “bee” style competitions. It was though this competition, that Professor Don Davis at Lehigh hand-picked Kraft and several other students from various schools in the region to try out for the 75 slots on the Lehigh Valley High School Math Team at Lehigh University coached by Dr. Davis.

Kraft has competed on this team for the past six years on the “A” team, called Fire, and they are the current defending champions since 2009 for the American Regions Math League (ARML), a national competition that will be held at Penn State on June 4. 

“It’s been great working with him for the past 6 years,” said Davis, “Ben has a special skill and he will be an important mathematician someday.” Davis went on to say that Kraft has consistently been the best student in his classes which include undergraduate as well as undergraduate students.  “He received the highest grade on the final exam — 96%!" 

After a hard day of classes, Kraft comes home and reads the newspaper. “He starts with the cover and then reads the editorials,” said Hillman, “he is interested in math but he is also interested in the world.”

Well, when you’re a jet setting mathematician, why wouldn’t you be interested in the world?  Certainly, the world will be interested in this young man one day and this is why we honor this M.I.T. bound boy-genius as this week’s Whiz Kid.