Four Weeks

[stoutfellow]

So, we're four weeks into the semester. Things are going reasonably well, I think. In the geometry class, we're into some of the simple but fun stuff, involving the geometry of circles and of triangles. I've taught this course almost every year for I don't know how many, and I can do most of it sans notes. (There's some stuff towards the end that gets sticky, for one reason and another.) In the group theory course, I'm making sure to do lots of examples and to try to keep the students engaged; this is a tough course for them, and engagement is really necessary to keep things from dissolving into a blob of incomprehensible abstraction. I think it's working, this time. I haven't taught the analysis course in quite a few years, and I've had a little trouble finding my feet, but I think the last week went well, and I hope I can keep that going for the rest of the semester.

My Master's student is still at it; this is the hard part, where she has to discover enough material to fill out the paper. (There's an old metaphor about research mathematics involving blundering around in a dark room, bumping into furniture and trying to figure out where everything is, until the glorious moment when you *find the light switch*!)

Hoping for clear sailing ahead!