Why higher mathematics?
Some basic questions What is the use of mathematics, and why study it in the first place? The usual responses to these questions are that: Mathematics has wide ranging applications in the sciences and in engineering. Mathematics teaches you to think logically. I am not sure, however, these responses go far enough. My own view is that…
Don’t be shy, ask a mathematician
“I hated math in high school” When I meet new people at a party and mention that I am a mathematician, I sometimes hear back “I hated math in high school,” or “I always hated mathematics.” To be honest, I didn’t much like it in high school either. The mathematics I did then like factoring polynomials or…
My Brain is Open: Erdős and Creativity
The Pied Piper of Mathematics Paul Erdős was someone I would have loved to meet. Besides being one of the greatest mathematicians in recent times, he was a beloved character. People close to him called him Uncle Paul. He passed away in 1996 when I was just beginning my thesis work as a doctoral student….
Septemberpocalypse
As I watched the pilot of Fear the Walking Dead, an inescapable truth dawned on me: it must be September once again. The days are shorter, leaves are falling, and it is my busiest time of year. Bar none. The university reanimates each September after a lull in the summer. Every seminar, committee, and course begins anew,…