Fluffy is back. A genuinely zen cat.

Being still aware of the pervading impermanence, and still having Fluffy forever in our hearts whether alive with us, or alive in the forest, or traveling who knows where, or over the rainbow, the thing is that Fluffy IS BACK after ~10 days, yay. 

A very strange and wonderful cat. 

She was totally unfazed. A zen cat.

I took a photo after serving her a celebratory late dinner with whipped cream.

 

Fluffy, our sweet Norwegian forest cat

Unfortunately, it is possible that our sweet, proud, loving but strongly independent, Norwegian forest cat Fluffy (with us for more than 9 years) crossed the rainbow bridge. She disappeared on January 22, 2024. 

We can only hope, being aware at the same time that nothing is permanent. The love for her is and will remain forever in our hearts. 

Until we meet again.

Brad Mehldau (Piano solo)♫ Moon River♫ Dear Prudence ♫

 

The magic of the real

"I love both fantasy and science-fiction novels (even better: series) but they always leave me feeling somewhat disappointed because all the tricks and gimmicks don't work in reality. That's why I became a scientist: It's magic, but it's real." ~Sabine Hossenfelder (source)

 

From Wikipedia: Sabine Hossenfelder (born 1976) is a German theoretical physicist, author, science communicator, professional YouTuber, musician, and singer. She is the author of Lost in Math: How Beauty Leads Physics Astray, which explores the concept of elegance in fundamental physics and cosmology, and of Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions.

The poetry of recursion

After teaching what I believe to be the highest-numbered MATH class in the catalogue (MATH 4671 Probability and Graphs - a.k.a. Random Graphs - a quite difficult class), next year 2024-2025 I would like to take at step towards the other end of the spectrum, and teach Mathematics for Liberal Arts (MATH 1201). 

It will be a challenge. 

I want to get into the mindset of a poet, and I want to make said poet feel a friendly spirit in the abstract realm. That would be difficult indeed.

For that I need a guiding theme, a guiding spirit - and I found it: the poetry of recursion. 

Many thanks and gratitude to my students!

At the end of every semester, I find myself amazed, impressed, and grateful seeing amazingly uplifting comments from my students. This gives me the power to move on. Some excerpts from evaluations for my Discrete Mathematics class - Fall 2023:

"I think this course is a great introduction to higher level math, its related language, terminology, as well as higher-level working logic. I enjoyed this class as it dove into many of the mysterious, hidden patterns that I have seen in math for several years. It is interesting to learn all of these things and finally learn the "secrets" behind math."

 

"The materials in discrete math reminded me a lot of the materials in the digital logic class I took the semester prior. I enjoy all things math and I also enjoyed that digital logic class as well. It was nice to be able to build upon that knowledge and become more familiar with the theory behind topics such as k-maps, modules, and decryption. Decryption and it's multiple theories was one topic that I think interested me the most."

Dalma - our lovely Jack Russel mix

"I wonder who's there..."

Remembering my mother Aurelia Caragiu

 

Aurelia Caragiu (11/27/1932 - 2/2/2022), quick notes to self, thinking about the early years:

In grade school, she taught me calligraphy, encouraged me to write summaries (I liked that, so I moved on recursively, writing summaries of summaries and so on in a convergent process to the essential - if any), bought me popular Science books on Christmas, pretended not to notice that I stole some old physical chemistry textbooks from the cellar - writing summaries in the fashionable student notebooks that I loved, but most importantly she progressively pretty much allowed me to do whatever I wanted (including me going with other kids in the neighborhood to walk in the park, play football, or catch tiny fish in the central lake - even if that resulted in some cuts on my feet). 

 

Her letting me go was an act of both love, pragmatism, and sacrifice since I was not the only child and the others had really pressing needs at times (about that, later - anyway it could have gotten really complicated). 

 

In the middle school, again, she gave me lots of freedom - and I greedily took it all - so I went to various clubs, museums, movies, walks, stayed late in the municipal library, etc. There was no turning back, but her love and sacrifice for all of us will not be forgotten. In a sense I am still processing this at a deeper level.

sunset

Memo 4 - After The Snow The Fragrance

Not to be forgotten: our summer group listening sessions in the early 80's - Music For Zen Meditation And Other Joys (1964 by Tony Scott, Shinichi Yuize, and Hōzan Yamamoto) at Razvan's home; we were five high school students living in an oppressive dictatorship; after those sessions ended we departed free and in meaningful silence. Particularly fond of After The Snow The Fragrance...

 

• Is Not All One
• The Murmuring Sound Of The Mountain Stream
• A Quivering Leaf Ask The Winds
• After The Snow The Fragrance
• To Drift Like Clouds
• Za Zen (Meditation)
• Prajna-Paramita-Hridaya Sutra (Sutra Chant)
• Sanzen (Moment Of Truth)
• Satori (Enlightenment)
  

In the library

I love that tranquil space in the library. It feels good even without picking a book.

42+ years later - Kozyrev-Grinberg for my students

 

In one of my classes, this past week we discussed Kozyrev-Grinberg theory (for me it brought back ideas that I felt passionate about 42 years ago - it felt good to resuscitate them, and my students apparently liked it).