Thiruvathukal Co-Authors Book
Computer Scientist Connects Nature, Mathematics, and Computer Science in Latest Book
George K. Thiruvathukal, PhD, professor of computer science in Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences, has co-authored a new book designed to help students better understand a fundamental concept in computer science.
Recursion: Mathematics and Python, co-authored with Yung-Hsiang Lu (Purdue University) and published by Routledge, connects mathematics and computer programming through practical examples that show how complex problems can be broken down and solved.
Recursion is everywhere in nature, from the branching of trees to the intricate patterns of snowflakes, yet understanding how these repeating patterns can help solve complex problems remains a challenge for students learning computer science.
Thiruvathukal, who also is a visiting computer scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and his colleagues have helped bridge this gap by connecting mathematical ideas, natural patterns, and practical computer programming, making a complex concept more accessible and relevant to everyday problem-solving.
“Dr. Thiruvathukal is a true “teacher-scholar” and chair of a department who leads by example, in this case ensuring that foundational concepts in computer science are made accessible to students,” said Peter J. Schraeder, PhD, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “His most recent book provides students with the tools to think critically about complex problems and to build the skills necessary to ensure success in their studies and future careers.”
Rather than asking students to memorize individual programming techniques, the book guides readers through a step-by-step approach to understanding how problems work and how to solve them using Python, a widely used programming language.
The authors use familiar challenges, including solving Sudoku puzzles, navigating mazes, and working through classic puzzles, to demonstrate how the approach works. The book also shows students how to make their programs more efficient and understand what happens behind the scenes when a computer runs their code.
“Our goal is to help students see recursion not just as a programming technique, but as a way of thinking about and solving problems,” said Thiruvathukal. “It can seem intimidating when students first encounter it. By connecting familiar ideas with practical programming, we hope to make computing more approachable and engaging. For example, we explore how computers can solve Sudoku puzzles and use visual results to help students understand the process.”
Designed for undergraduate students studying computer science and computer engineering, Recursion: Mathematics and Python can also support courses in programming, mathematics, and algorithms. By linking concepts to hands-on examples, the book helps students develop problem-solving skills they can apply to new challenges.
Learn more about Thiruvathukal and his latest book.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
Founded in 1870, the College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges, serving as the academic home for nearly 8,000 students (roughly 50 percent of Loyola’s total student population). It is academically diverse with twenty academic departments that span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. It is also highly interdisciplinary with thirty-one interdisciplinary programs and seven interdisciplinary centers, including the mission-centric Jesuit Heritage Research Center and the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. The College is home to over 450 full-time, award-winning faculty, who are committed to teaching and research excellence. They teach nearly 2,000 classes each semester, including 88 percent of all Core Curriculum classes taken by undergraduate students across the university. They also contribute to eleven doctoral programs whose graduates have helped propel Loyola starting in 2025 to R-1 research status (the highest research status a university can achieve). Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at Loyola Rome in Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever-deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”