In the dark on the sunny side : a memoir of an out-of-sight mathematician PDF
Preview In the dark on the sunny side : a memoir of an out-of-sight mathematician
i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/22 — 16:07 — page i — #1 i i In the Dark on the Sunny Side A Memoir of an Out-of-Sight Mathematician i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/23 — 15:02 — page ii — #2 i i ©2012bytheMathematicalAssociationofAmerica,Inc. LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber2012947878 PrinteditionISBN:978-0-88385-581-2 ElectroniceditionISBN:978-1-61444-513-5 PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica CurrentPrinting(lastdigit): 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/23 — 18:28 — page iii — #3 i i In the Dark on the Sunny Side A Memoir of an Out-of-Sight Mathematician Larry Baggett Professor Emeritus University of Colorado PublishedandDistributedby TheMathematicalAssociationofAmerica i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/22 — 16:07 — page iv — #4 i i CouncilonPublicationsandCommunications FrankFarris,Chair CommitteeonBooks GeraldBryce,Chair SpectrumEditorialBoard GeraldL.Alexanderson,Co-Editor JamesJ.Tattersall,Co-Editor RobertE.Bradley SusannaS.Epp RichardK.Guy KeithM.Kendig ShawneeL.McMurran JeffreyL.Nunemacher JeanJ.Pedersen KennethA.Ross MarvinSchaefer FranklinF.Sheehan i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/27 — 11:49 — page v — #5 i i SPECTRUMSERIES The Spectrum Series of theMathematical Associationof America was so named to reflect its purpose: to publish a broad range of books includ- ing biographies,accessible expositionsof old or new mathematical ideas, reprints and revisions of excellent out-of-printbooks, popular works, and other monographs of high interest that will appeal to a broad range of readers,includingstudentsandteachersofmathematics,mathematicalam- ateurs,andresearchers. 777MathematicalConversationStarters,byJohndePillis 99PointsofIntersection:Examples—Pictures—Proofs,byHansWalser.Translated fromtheoriginalGermanbyPeterHiltonandJeanPedersen AhaGotchaandAhaInsight,byMartinGardner AlltheMathThat’sFittoPrint,byKeithDevlin BeautifulMathematics,byMartinErickson CalculusandItsOrigins,byDavidPerkins CalculusGems:BriefLivesandMemorableMathematics,byGeorgeF.Simmons CarlFriedrichGauss:TitanofScience,byG.WaldoDunnington,withadditional materialbyJeremyGrayandFritz-EgbertDohse TheChangingSpaceofGeometry,editedbyChrisPritchard Circles:AMathematicalView,byDanPedoe ComplexNumbersandGeometry,byLiang-shinHahn Cryptology,byAlbrechtBeutelspacher TheEarlyMathematicsofLeonhardEuler,byC.EdwardSandifer TheEdgeoftheUniverse:Celebrating10YearsofMathHorizons,editedbyDeanna HaunspergerandStephenKennedy EulerandModernScience,editedbyN.N.Bogolyubov,G.K.Mikhailov,andA.P. Yushkevich.TranslatedfromRussianbyRobertBurns. Eulerat300:AnAppreciation,editedbyRobertE.Bradley,LawrenceA.D’Antonio, andC.EdwardSandifer ExpeditionsinMathematics,editedbyTatianaShubin,DavidF.Hayes,andGerald L.Alexanderson FiveHundredMathematicalChallenges,byEdwardJ.Barbeau,MurrayS.Klamkin, andWilliamO.J.Moser TheGeniusofEuler:ReflectionsonhisLifeandWork,editedbyWilliamDunham TheGoldenSection,byHansWalser.TranslatedfromtheoriginalGermanbyPeter Hilton,withtheassistanceofJeanPedersen. TheHarmonyoftheWorld:75YearsofMathematicsMagazine,editedbyGeraldL. AlexandersonwiththeassistanceofPeterRoss i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/27 — 11:49 — page vi — #6 i i AHistorianLooksBack:TheCalculusasAlgebraandSelectedWritings,byJudith Grabiner History of Mathematics: Highways and Byways,by Amy Dahan-Dalme´dico and JeannePeiffer,translatedbySanfordSegal HowEulerDidIt,byC.EdwardSandifer In the Darkonthe SunnySide: A Memoir of an Out-of-Sight Mathematician,by LarryBaggett IsMathematicsInevitable?AMiscellany,editedbyUnderwoodDudley IWanttoBeaMathematician,byPaulR.Halmos JourneyintoGeometries,byMartaSved JULIA:alifeinmathematics,byConstanceReid TheLighterSideofMathematics:ProceedingsoftheEuge`neStrensMemorialCon- ferenceonRecreationalMathematics&Its History,editedbyRichardK.Guy andRobertE.Woodrow LureoftheIntegers,byJoeRoberts MagicNumbersoftheProfessor,byOwenO’SheaandUnderwoodDudley MagicTricks,CardShuffling,andDynamicComputerMemories:TheMathematics ofthePerfectShuffle,byS.BrentMorris MartinGardner’sMathematicalGames:TheentirecollectionofhisScientificAmer- icancolumns TheMathChatBook,byFrankMorgan MathematicalAdventuresforStudentsandAmateurs,editedbyDavid Hayesand TatianaShubin.WiththeassistanceofGeraldL.AlexandersonandPeterRoss MathematicalApocrypha,byStevenG.Krantz MathematicalApocryphaRedux,byStevenG.Krantz MathematicalCarnival,byMartinGardner Mathematical Circles Vol I: In Mathematical Circles Quadrants I, II, III, IV, by HowardW.Eves MathematicalCirclesVolII:MathematicalCirclesRevisitedandMathematicalCir- clesSquared,byHowardW.Eves MathematicalCirclesVolIII:MathematicalCirclesAdieuandReturntoMathemat- icalCircles,byHowardW.Eves MathematicalCircus,byMartinGardner MathematicalCranks,byUnderwoodDudley MathematicalEvolutions,editedbyAbeShenitzerandJohnStillwell MathematicalFallacies,Flaws,andFlimflam,byEdwardJ.Barbeau MathematicalMagicShow,byMartinGardner MathematicalReminiscences,byHowardEves MathematicalTreks:FromSurrealNumberstoMagicCircles,byIvarsPeterson i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/27 — 11:49 — page vii — #7 i i AMathematicianComesofAge,byStevenG.Krantz Mathematics:QueenandServantofScience,byE.T.Bell MathematicsinHistoricalContext,,byJeffSuzuki MemorabiliaMathematica,byRobertEdouardMoritz Musings of the Masters: An Anthology of Mathematical Reflections, edited by RaymondG.Ayoub NewMathematicalDiversions,byMartinGardner Non-EuclideanGeometry,byH.S.M.Coxeter NumericalMethodsThatWork,byFormanActon NumerologyorWhatPythagorasWrought,byUnderwoodDudley OutoftheMouthsofMathematicians,byRosemarySchmalz Penrose Tiles to Trapdoor Ciphers ...and the Return of Dr. Matrix, by Martin Gardner Polyominoes,byGeorgeMartin PowerPlay,byEdwardJ.Barbeau ProofandOtherDilemmas:MathematicsandPhilosophy,editedbyBonnieGold andRogerSimons TheRandomWalksofGeorgePo´lya,byGeraldL.Alexanderson RemarkableMathematicians,fromEulertovonNeumann,byIoanJames TheSearchforE.T.Bell,alsoknownasJohnTaine,byConstanceReid ShapingSpace,editedbyMarjorieSenechalandGeorgeFleck SherlockHolmesin BabylonandOther Talesof MathematicalHistory,editedby MarlowAnderson,VictorKatz,andRobinWilson Sophie’sDiary,SecondEdition,byDoraMusielak StudentResearchProjectsinCalculus,byMarcusCohen,ArthurKnoebel,Edward D.Gaughan,DouglasS.Kurtz,andDavidPengelley Symmetry,byHansWalser.Translatedfrom theoriginal GermanbyPeter Hilton, withtheassistanceofJeanPedersen. TheTrisectors,byUnderwoodDudley TwentyYearsBeforetheBlackboard,byMichaelStuebenwithDianeSandford Who GaveYouthe Epsilon?andOther Talesof Mathematical History,edited by MarlowAnderson,VictorKatz,andRobinWilson TheWordsofMathematics,byStevenSchwartzman MAAServiceCenter P.O.Box91112 Washington,DC20090-1112 800-331-1622 FAX301-206-9789 i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/22 — 16:07 — page viii — #8 i i i i i i i i “baggett06” — 2012/8/22 — 16:07 — page ix — #9 i i Contents Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 UncleAl’sTruss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2 AQuantumMoment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 3 LouisandtheProblemofSixty-Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Sidebar:CountingDominoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 4 ACaneMutiny . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Sidebar:StepsforCaningChairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 5 PinocchioBecomesaRealBoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 6 AuntMildredandtheCircleofFifths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Sidebar:TheCommaofPythagoras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 7 ScarletRibbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 8 DauntlessCourage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Sidebar:DefinitionoftheLimitofaSequence . . . . . . . . . 115 9 TheAgeofEnlightenment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Sidebar:MathematicalInduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 10 Baggettv.Bullitt,andAllThatJazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Sidebar:DesigningChords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Sidebar:MorefromPythagoras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 11 PublishorPerish,MyBestWork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 12 TheRenaissance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 13 “SoHow’dThatAllWorkOutforYou?” . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Author’sNotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 ix i i i i
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