I am off to Vancouver today for a little while. I'll be giving a talk tomorrow at University of British Columbia, and I'll also be staying with friends and hanging out with them for a while! (On this day 10 years ago, I flew away to visit the same people.)
My name is Mason Porter. I am a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. Previously I was Professor of Nonlinear and Complex Systems in the Mathematical Institute at University of Oxford. I was also a Tutorial Fellow of Somerville College.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Monday, March 06, 2023
"Theorems" (to the tune of ' "Heroes" ', by David Bowie)
"Theorems" (to the tune of ' "Heroes" ', by David Bowie)
I, I will be pure
And you, you will use rigor
And nothing will take it away
We can show them, just for one day
We can prove theorems, just for one day
And you, you can have bounds
And I, I'll take infinite time
We're joint authors, and that is a fact
We're coauthors, and that is that
Mathematics'll keep us together
It will not be just for one day
We can prove theorems for ever and ever
What do you say?
I, I wish I could prove
Like my teachers, my teachers can prove
Though sometimes it's hard to keep it together
I can show them, for ever and ever
Oh I can prove Theorems, just for one day
I, I will be pure
And you, you will use rigor
And nothing will take it away
We can prove Theorems, just for one day
We can do it, just for one day
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the board (by the board)
Arguments, far above our heads (over our heads)
And we tried, and we were never ignored (never ignored)
Our mentors, were always on our side
Oh we can show them, for ever and ever
Then we could prove Theorems, just for one day
We can prove Theorems
We can prove Theorems
We can prove Theorems
Just for one day
We can prove Theorems
We're students, and nothing will help us
Maybe it's hopeless, then you better not stay
But we could graduate, maybe one day
Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, maybe one day?
I, I will be pure
And you, you will use rigor
And nothing will take it away
We can show them, just for one day
We can prove theorems, just for one day
And you, you can have bounds
And I, I'll take infinite time
We're joint authors, and that is a fact
We're coauthors, and that is that
Mathematics'll keep us together
It will not be just for one day
We can prove theorems for ever and ever
What do you say?
I, I wish I could prove
Like my teachers, my teachers can prove
Though sometimes it's hard to keep it together
I can show them, for ever and ever
Oh I can prove Theorems, just for one day
I, I will be pure
And you, you will use rigor
And nothing will take it away
We can prove Theorems, just for one day
We can do it, just for one day
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the board (by the board)
Arguments, far above our heads (over our heads)
And we tried, and we were never ignored (never ignored)
Our mentors, were always on our side
Oh we can show them, for ever and ever
Then we could prove Theorems, just for one day
We can prove Theorems
We can prove Theorems
We can prove Theorems
Just for one day
We can prove Theorems
We're students, and nothing will help us
Maybe it's hopeless, then you better not stay
But we could graduate, maybe one day
Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, maybe one day?