thoughts about mathematics, without actually doing any mathematics.

not much maths since i skipped the conference early on friday.

i was able to write a few paragraphs of a proof in LaTeX on an airplane .. until my battery went out. then it was just me and skymall magazine and what i would purchase if i had a spare $1000 that was good for no other purpose.

i've been thinking of jotting down my own list of questions and open problems that i've heard about, in mathematics.

sometimes one can say a lot, simply by asking a question.

for example, asking a question tells the interrogated what you find interesting and what makes you curious. asking tells a little of what you know and are willing to try or have tried.

besides, my mind is untrustworthy; if i don't write these bits down, i might never remember them again.

along with this, there have been a few notebooks that i've accrued, over the years: their contents are nothing but scratchwork and random questions that have come to mind. perhaps i'll organise these up, in written form, when i clean out my office at U of M.