Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Day two done

I've given my second of five lectures: a fun group of students --- I'd been warned to expect them not to interact much, but whether it is because they've been here a little longer and are warming up, or whether it's my sunny personality that's doing it, they seem to be enjoying the lectures, and are answering questions pretty enthusiastically.
Of course, the fact that I am throwing in some lovely magic tricks (developed by other people) helps a bit too. And all of the magic tricks have some real mathematical content: Mulcahy's Low Down Triple Dealing, for example, or Gilbreath shuffles, or Diaconis' fabulous riff on a de Bruijn cycle.
This sort of task, lecturing without grading, speaking on whatever I wish to speak about, covering material at a pace that suits me, with no requirement that I make it through this topic or that, is really fun:-)

Yours, running along nicely,
N.

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