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Ratan Naval Tata was born on Dec. 28, 1937, in Bombay, now Mumbai, during the British Raj. His family belonged to the Parsi religion, a small Zoroastrian community that originated in Persia, fled persecution by the Muslim majority there centuries ago and found refuge in India. Mr. Tata became a leader of that community. — New York Times obituary on 9 October 2024 |
See also theta functions in this journal.
For those who prefer narratives to mathematics . . .
Tiger at the Fire Temple
(With apologies to Kipling.)
And as den mother for this Romulus and Remus . . .
"Se necesita una poca de gracia." — Song lyric.
See also Big Time in this journal.
From a post this morning by Peter J. Cameron
in memory of John Horton Conway —
| ” This happened at a conference somewhere in North America. I was chairing the session at which he was to speak. When I got up to introduce him, his title had not yet been announced, and the stage had a blackboard on an easel. I said something like ‘The next speaker is John Conway, and no doubt he is going to tell us what he will talk about.’ John came onto the stage, went over to the easel, picked up the blackboard, and turned it over. On the other side were revealed five titles of talks. He said, ‘I am going to give one of these talks. I will count down to zero; you are to shout as loudly as you can the number of the talk you want to hear, and the chairman will judge which number is most popular.’ “ |
Thursday, August 21, 2014
NoxFiled under: Uncategorized — m759 @ 1:00 AM ( A sequel to Lux ) “By groping toward the light we are made to realize — Arthur Koestler, The Call Girls: A Tragi-Comedy ,
Robin Williams and the Stages of Math i) shock & denial A related description of the process — “You know how sometimes someone tells you a theorem, — Tom Leinster yesterday at The n-Category Café |
From the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle" —
From a trailer for the recent film version of A Wrinkle in Time —
Detail of the phrase "quantum tesseract theorem":
From the 1962 book —
"There's something phoney
in the whole setup, Meg thought.
There is definitely something rotten
in the state of Camazotz."
Related mathematics from Koen Thas that some might call a
"quantum tesseract theorem" —
Some background —
See also posts tagged Dirac and Geometry. For more
background on finite geometry, see a web page
at Thas's institution, Ghent University.
An image from the online New York Times today —
Blackboard Jungle , 1955 —
"Through the unknown, remembered gate . . . ."
… from previous posts on Paul Lockhart.
For more on the new logo of the AMS as a symbol of
politically correct mediocrity, see a post of Jan. 10, 2018.
. . . With intolerable disrespect for the word …
In particular, the word "theorem."
See also "Quantum Tesseract Theorem" in this journal.
Images from a post titled For Stephen King —
Related images —
"Pray for the grace of accuracy" — Robert Lowell
See also the previous post and the usual suspects.
Blackboard Jungle , 1955
"We are going to keep doing this
until we get it right." — June 15, 2007
"Her wall is filled with pictures,
she gets 'em one by one" — Chuck Berry
See too a more advanced geometry lesson
that also uses the diagram pictured above.
Other Times content — ("O Me!") —
Other non -Times content — ("O Life!") —
The author of the above pairing has suggested a topic she
seems ill-prepared to discuss — poetry and psychosis.
Her background is in grade-school education.
For one possible result when grade-school education
meets psychosis, see Log24 posts tagged Danvers.
For better-informed discussion of the relation of poetry
to psychological states that are more normal, see (for instance)
Roberts Avens on James Hillman.
Continued from Field of Dreams, Jan. 20, 2013.
That post mentioned the March 2011 AMS Notices ,
an issue on mathematics education.
In that issue was an interview with Abel Prize winner
John Tate done in Oslo on May 25, 2010, the day
he was awarded the prize. From the interview—
|
Research Contributions
Raussen and Skau: This brings us to the next
Tate: Well, first of all, it was not a new result, except
[For a different perspective on the highlighted areas of |
"So often there is a time in mathematics for something to be done."
— John Tate in Oslo on May 25, 2010.
See also this journal on May 25, 2010, as well as
Galois Groups and Harmonic Analysis on Nov. 24, 2013.
This morning's previous post concluded with
a 1938 tune for entertainer Edward Frenkel.
A more up-to-date musical offering:
Harrowing of Hell (Catholic Encyclopedia )
"This is the Old English and Middle English term
for the triumphant descent of Christ into hell (or Hades)
between the time of His Crucifixion and His Resurrection,
when, according to Christian belief, He brought salvation
to the souls held captive there since the beginning of the world."
Through the Blackboard (Feb. 25, 2010)—
See also The Dreaming Jewels and Colorful Tale.
From a review in the April 2013 issue of
Notices of the American Mathematical Society—
"The author clearly is passionate about mathematics
as an art, as a creative process. In reading this book,
one can easily get the impression that mathematics
instruction should be more like an unfettered journey
into a jungle where an individual can make his or her
own way through that terrain."
From the book under review—
"Every morning you take your machete into the jungle
and explore and make observations, and every day
you fall more in love with the richness and splendor
of the place."
— Lockhart, Paul (2009-04-01). A Mathematician's Lament:
How School Cheats Us Out of Our Most Fascinating and
Imaginative Art Form (p. 92). Bellevue Literary Press.
Kindle Edition.
Related material: Blackboard Jungle in this journal.
See also Galois Space and Solomon's Mines.
"Blackboard Jungle," 1955 —
"Through the unknown, remembered gate . . . ."
A differently remembered gate —
"How old is the 'Big Spider Beck' joke?"
From "Blackboard Jungle" (1955) —
Teacher:
– You see, music is based on mathematics,
and it's just that the next class …
is a little more advanced.
Students:
– We're advanced, teach.
– Two times two is four.
– Are four.
See also Damnation Morning in this journal and . . .
The title refers to a record played during math class
in the 1955 film "Blackboard Jungle."
Related posts: Bix and Mira. See as well . . .
… on some unspecified date,* according to
the University of Texas at Austin yesterday.
See also Tate in a Blackboard Jungle post
from December 5, 2013.
* On October 16, 2019 (AMS Day), according to
the Harvard University department of mathematics.
Kiley in Blackboard Jungle , 1955 —
From the previous post —
"Prenons arbitrairement dans le tableau ci-dessus…."
Related material — "Ici vient M. Jordan."
From "Blackboard Jungle" (1955) —
Teacher:
– You see, music is based on mathematics,
and it's just that the next class …
:57:06
…is a little more advanced.
Students:
– We're advanced, teach.
:57:09
– Two times two is four.
– Are four.
Note the date of the above YouTube video.
From that same date, Friday, Jan. 13th, 2017 —
"The novel has a parallel narrative that eventually
converges with the main story."
— Wikipedia on a book by Foer's novelist brother
Public Squares
An image from the online New York Times
on the date, July 6,
of the above Atlantic article —
An image from "Blackboard Jungle," 1955 —
"Through the unknown, remembered gate . . . ."
The title is that of a fictional high school dance on November 12, 1955,
in the 1985 film “Back to the Future.”
A real high school dance from that era —
“The Class History was reviewed by Scott Mohr.”
See also Scott Mohr in Log24 posts tagged Back to the Future.
“… the Prom carried out a Moonlight and Roses theme….”
— Warren Times Mirror, Warren, PA, 2 June 1958, page 7 (above)
Related musical themes from a few years earlier —
See as well the 1955 film “Blackboard Jungle” in this journal.
*For some variations on the title theme, see Red October.
1955 ("Blackboard Jungle") —
1976 —
2009 —
2016 —
Blackboard Jungle , 1955 —
“Every transition from major to minor in a sonata, every transformation
of a myth or a religious cult, every classical or artistic formulation was,
I realized in that flashing moment, if seen with a truly meditative mind,
nothing but a direct route into the interior of the cosmic mystery….”
— Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game
“How strange the change from major to minor….”
— Cole Porter, “Every Time We Say Goodbye“
The title is from a New Yorker review of …
"So put your glad rags on
And join me, hon …"
See also The Skeleton Twins (2014)
and Blackboard Jungle (1955).
Quixote Vive! — Terry Gilliam, June 4, 2017
Review of a post from March 7, 2017 —
|
"The supervisory read-only memory (SROM)
— Elliot Williams at Hackaday , March 4, 2017, From a reply to a comment on the above story —
"You are singing a very fearful and oppressive tune. A perhaps less oppressive tune —
Related scene — Richard Kiley in "Blackboard Jungle," 1955:
|
Cypress Spring
" You will find to the left of the House of Hades
a spring,
And by the side thereof standing
a white cypress.
To this spring approach not near.
But you shall find another,
from the lake of Memory
Cold water flowing forth, and there are
guardians before it.
Say, 'I am a child of Earth and starry Heaven;
But my race is of Heaven alone.
This you know yourselves.
But I am parched with thirst and I perish.
Give me quickly
The cold water flowing forth
from the lake of Memory.' "
"The supervisory read-only memory (SROM)
in question is a region of proprietary code
that runs when the chip starts up,
and in privileged mode."
— Elliot Williams at Hackaday , March 4, 2017,
"Reading the Unreadable SROM"
From a reply to a comment on the above story —
"You are singing a very fearful and oppressive tune.
You ought to try to get it out of your head."
A perhaps less oppressive tune —
Related scene —
Richard Kiley in "Blackboard Jungle," 1955:
See also the Go chip in this journal.
"Try the grey stuff, it's delicious
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes"
— Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"
Related material —
|
Friday, April 1, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized — m759 @ 12:00 AM
See also the previous post and the usual suspects. |
Happy birthday to Saoirse Ronan.
The saying of poet Mary Karr that
"there is a body on the cross in my church,"
together with the crosses of the previous post,
suggests a synchronicity check of the
date discussed in that post —
“Be serious, because
The stone may have contempt
For too-familiar hands”
— Adrienne Rich in “The Diamond Cutters” (1955)
Blackboard Jungle , 1955 —
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
|
"I pondered deeply, then, over the
adventures of the jungle. And after
some work with a colored pencil
I succeeded in making my first drawing.
My Drawing Number One.
It looked something like this:
I showed my masterpiece to the
grown-ups, and asked them whether
the drawing frightened them.
But they answered: 'Why should
anyone be frightened by a hat?'"
* For the title, see Plato Thanks the Academy (Jan. 3).
“Paradigm Talent Agency are supporting with casting.
Emperor is described as a look at a debauched world
of wealth, sex, manipulation and treason.”
— The Hollywood Reporter : “Cannes: Adrien Brody
to play Charles V in Lee Tamahori‘s ‘Emperor,'”
2:54 AM PST May 19, 2014, by Scott Roxborough
Related material from Santa Cruz, California:
“On or about or between 11/22/2013 and 11/24/2013….”
Related material from this journal:
“Fiction,” a post of St. Cecilia’s Day, 11/22/2013.
See, too, yesterday’s noon post “Nowhere” and
the April 27-28, 2013, posts tagged Around the Clock.
The title refers to a New York Times story about
an art exhibition that opened today.
This evening’s NY Lottery numbers: 016 and 2858.
Pictures from these links:
016 (Blackboard Jungle , 1955) —
2858 (number of a Log24 post, 2007) —
Meanwhile…
|
Log24 on Sunday, October 5, 2008— “In a game of chess, the knight’s move is unique because it alone goes around corners. In this way, it combines the continuity of a set sequence with the discontinuity of an unpredictable turn in the middle. This meaningful combination of continuity and discontinuity in an otherwise linear set of possibilities has led some to refer to the creative act of discovery in any field of research as a ‘knight’s move’ in intelligence.” Related material: Terence McKenna: “Schizophrenia is not a psychological disorder peculiar to human beings. Schizophrenia is not a disease at all but rather a localized traveling discontinuity of the space time matrix itself. It is like a travelling whirl-wind of radical understanding that haunts time. It haunts time in the same way that Alfred North Whitehead said that the color dove grey ‘haunts time like a ghost.’” Anonymous author: “‘Knight’s move thinking’ is a psychiatric term describing a thought disorder where in speech the usual logical sequence of ideas is lost, the sufferer jumping from one idea to another with no apparent connection. It is most commonly found in schizophrenia.” |
Related journalism—
"What's the 'S' stand for?" — Amy Adams
Or: The Naked Blackboard Jungle
|
"…it would be quite a long walk
Swiftly Mrs. Who brought her hands… together.
"Now, you see," Mrs. Whatsit said,
– A Wrinkle in Time , |
Related material: Machete Math and…
Starring the late Eleanor Parker as Swiftly Mrs. Who.
Relevant material:
Wikipedia —
"Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts,
United States, located on the Danvers River near the
northeastern coast of Massachusetts. Originally known
as Salem Village, the town is most widely known for its
association with the 1692 Salem witch trials. It is also
known for the Danvers State Hospital, one of the state's
19th-century psychiatric hospitals, which was located here."
"The summer's gone and all the roses fallin' "
For Jack and Jill.
The above motivational video is from the web page of a middle school
math teacher who was shot to death yesterday morning.
Related journalism —
See also "S in a Diamond" (here, October 2013)
and "Superman Comes to the Supermarket,"
by Norman Mailer (Esquire , November 1960).
In a recent film, Amy Adams asked Superman,
"What's the S stand for?"
One possible answer, in light of Stephen King's
recent sequel to The Shining and of
the motivational video above—
Steam.
Quoted in the March 13 post Blackboard Jungle:
"Every morning you take your machete into the jungle
and explore and make observations, and every day
you fall more in love with the richness and splendor
of the place."
— Paul Lockhart, A Mathematician's Lament
More from Lockhart's jungle—
|
Mathematical objects, even if initially inspired by some aspect of reality (e.g., piles of rocks, the disc of the moon), are still nothing more than figments of our imagination. Not only that, but they are created by us and are endowed by us with certain characteristics; that is, they are what we ask them to be…. … in Mathematical Reality, because it is an imaginary place, I actually can have pretty much whatever I want…. The point is that there is no reality to any of this, so there are no rules or restrictions other than the ones we care to impose…. Make up anything you want, so long as it isn’t boring. Of course this is a matter of taste, and tastes change and evolve. Welcome to art history! — Lockhart, Paul (2009-04-01). A Mathematician's Lament: How School Cheats Us Out of Our Most Fascinating and Imaginative Art Form (pp. 100-104). Bellevue Literary Press. Kindle Edition. |
Related material in this journal: Bellevue and Wechsler.
See also Gombrich in this journal and in the following:
Related material (Click for some background.) —
A phrase from last night's post— "God's empty chair."
For related material from this journal, see The Empty Chair.
A related scene from mathematics education (the theme of the new March 2011 AMS Notices )—
"Plato acknowledges how khora challenges our normal categories
of rational understanding. He suggests that we might best approach it
through a kind of dream consciousness."
–Richard Kearney, quoted here Sunday afternoon
"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream."
– Song at Sunday night's Grammy awards
Again, this couldn't happen again.
This is that "once in a lifetime,"
this is the thrill divine.
The great 1949 days (according to Jack Kerouac)—
On the Road—
Shearing began to play his chords; they rolled out of the piano in great rich showers, you'd think the man wouldn't have time to line them up. They rolled and rolled like the sea. Folks yelled for him to "Go!" Dean was sweating; the sweat poured down his collar. "There he is! That's him! Old God! Old God Shearing! Yes! Yes! Yes!" And Shearing was conscious of the madman behind him, he could hear every one of Dean's gasps and imprecations, he could sense it though he couldn't see. "That's right!" Dean said. "Yes!" Shearing smiled; he rocked. Shearing rose from the piano, dripping with sweat; these were his great 1949 days before he became cool and commercial. When he was gone Dean pointed to the empty piano seat. "God's empty chair," he said.
"Plato acknowledges how khora challenges our normal categories
of rational understanding. He suggests that we might best approach it
through a kind of dream consciousness."
—Richard Kearney, quoted here yesterday afternoon
"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream."
— Song at last night's Grammy awards
Richard Kiley in "Blackboard Jungle" (1955)
Note the directive on the blackboard.
Quoted here last year on this date—
Alexandre Borovik's Mathematics Under the Microscope (American Mathematical Society, 2010)—
"Once I mentioned to Gelfand that I read his Functions and Graphs ; in response, he rather sceptically asked me what I had learned from the book. He was delighted to hear my answer: 'The general principle of always looking at the simplest possible example.'….
So, let us look at the principle in more detail:
Always test a mathematical theory on the simplest possible example…
This is a banality, of course. Everyone knows it; therefore, almost no one follows it."
Related material— Geometry Simplified and A Simple Reflection Group of Order 168.
"Great indeed is the riddle of the universe.
Beautiful indeed is the source of truth."
– Shing-Tung Yau, Chairman,
Department of Mathematics, Harvard University
"Always keep a diamond in your mind."
– King Solomon at the Paradiso
Image from stoneship.org
See Sith Pyramid and Jedi Cube .
Related reading . . .
Pyramid:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/
2022/feb/27/vladimir-putin-russia-ukraine-power
Cube:
"To enter into the world of Putin’s favorite philosophers
is to enter a world full of melodrama, mysticism and
grandiose eschatological visions."
— David Brooks in the online New York Times on March 3, 2014
Scholium:
This journal on the above NY Times date —
"When the first Harry Potter book appeared, in 1997,
it was just a year before the universal search engine
Google was launched. And so Hermione Granger,
that charming grind, still goes to the Hogwarts library
and spends hours and hours working her way through
the stacks, finding out what a basilisk is or how to
make a love potion."
— Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker issue dated
St. Valentine's Day, 2011
More recently, Gopnik writes that …
"Arguing about non-locality went out of fashion, in this
account, almost the way 'Rock Around the Clock'
displaced Sinatra from the top of the charts."
— Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker issue dated
St. Andrew's Day, 2015
This journal on Valentine's Day, 2011 —
"One heart will wear a valentine." — Sinatra
"… she has written a love letter to Plato, whom
she regards as having given us philosophy.
He is, in her view, as relevant today as he ever
was — which is to say, very."
— New York Times review of a book by
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, April 18, 2014
“Alles wird viel einfacher, wenn man zuerst von der
Unendlichkeit der Theilbarkeit abstrahirt und bloss
Discrete Grössen betrachtet.”
— Carl Friedrich Gauss in 1825
(Quoted here in the July 16, 2013, post Child Buyers.)
Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas.
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