Peter Shiu is a lecturer at Loughborough university, he teaches first year linear algebra during semester 2. It is during
these lectures that my love affair (not that kind!) with Shiu begun and prospered.
Shiu is from China, this fact was deduced by him using Chinese characters and also wearing a Peking university t-shirt
once. Plus, he looks Chinese.
Shiu has great fashion sense from his hats to his jumpers he is always ahead of the game. He has been spotted in a flat
cap, a bizzare blue russian style hat, his blue jumper, a green jumper and a sleeveless maroon jumper. Shiu also rolls up
his jeans to different lengths on each leg, suggesting he has different sized legs.
If this doesn't make Shiu an idol in your mind already, then consider a small (he comes up to my chin!) Chinese man teaching
you about linearity and matrices in his fantastic accent. Did I mention Shiu is crazy? Thats right, a crazy Chinese man teaches
linear algebra! He comes up with the most bizzare analogies, examples and phrases (see box below for great Shiu quotes). What
better way to learn about matrices than by using examples about whaling and owl and rat populations in a forest? You need
to explain mathematical induction to a room full of people so what do you do? Well if you're Shiu you use your coat of course!
It is these eccentricities, his fantastic accent and the fact that he is Chinese that means that there will always be
a part of my heart for Peter Shiu.
Shiu has his own page on the internet and here it is:
On here is a picture of the man himself, when you see it, just ask yourself "How fun would it be to have him teach me
linear algebra?", the answer should be "Very fun".
