Silicon Valley‘s attention to detail means even the fictional maths is hyper-realistic. IEEE Spectrum profiles Vinith Misra, the brain behind Pied Piper’s compression algorithm — and the guy who wrote the mathematical proof of that epic penis joke from the season finale. This guy is a legend.
To be fair, Misra’s input on the show goes a lot further than the three-minute masturbation joke that serves as the turning point for Silicon Valley‘s season one finale. Misra, who has since completed his PhD, designed the novel lossless compression algorithm that propels the show’s fictional start-up to fame. That algorithm doesn’t actually work — but it’s detailed enough and plausible enough, that even an expert would have to ponder it deeply before recognising its flaws.
The whole story of how Misra and his advisor Dr Tsachy Weissman achieved this is fascinating — you should really check out IEEE Spectrum’s complete profile. Silicon Valley is coming back for a second season, which likely means that Misra and Weissman will continue adding realistic maths theory to bolster the show’s believability. And maybe even more next-level dick jokes. [IEEE Spectrum]