we, the mathematical diaspora.

just now there is a fire alarm in east hall, where resides the mathematics department and in particular, my office.

sighing, i look at my desk. it's probably not a real fire, i think to myself, but just in case .. so this is what i bring with me, in this order:

1. my laptop, fully charged,
   
2. thesis corrections from my committee chair,
   
3. my copy of federer's geometric measure theory,
   
4. my pens,
   
5. my cell phone,
   
6. my watch,
   

and putting all of these things in my bookbag. walking over to the coffee pot, there remains some of that pleasant brew.

i pour myself a cup of coffee, take a sip, and then saunter out the nearest exit.

---

there's no space at espresso royale, inside or outside. all the mathematicians and psychologists have taken refuge there [1]. thinking to work outside, i realize that this cursèd sun makes it impossible to view my laptop screen.

so for a while, i chat amicably with other math grads that i don't often see.

then one prof sees me and asks me how i'm doing, what pittsburgh is like. then he tells me that he will attend my talk on monday. cr@p. now i have to give a good talk.

it's not just him, of course, but still .. \:



so now i risk the UGLi [2]. yes, i'm blogging, but now i'm getting back to work ..

.. because if i don't get enough thesis corrections done now, then i'll lose time preparing a talk and attending other talks at the conference and then nothing will be done.

[1] on one side of east hall, there is the mathematics department. the other side is the psychology department. we don't mix much.

[2] i.e. the shapiro undergraduate library.





addendum (@ 3:56pm): back in east hall; the alarms are quiet. it's strangelyy comforting. i suppose that birds are allowed to prefer certain bars over others, for their cages. q:

as for what i left behind:

linear operators, volume 1 by dunford & schwarz,
functional analysis by rudin,
lipschitz algebras by weaver,
my bicycle helmet,