Category Archives: Academia

“Fraternity” by Benjamin Nugent

Posted on March 29, 2022 by JBL

A collection of short stories, focused around a fictional fraternity at UMass. The opening story God was wonderful, and I enjoyed the other stories in the collection with overlapping characters. For some of the others I had more trouble finding … Continue reading →

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American woman math PhDs of the 1940s

Posted on February 25, 2021 by JBL

Apparently I’ve had this blog for a really long time: just over nine years ago, I wrote about Margaret A. M. Murray’s book “Women Becoming Mathematicians”. This post is just to note that the latest AMS Notices contains an article … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Books, Math | Tagged | 2 Comments

Open problems in algebraic combinatorics

Posted on December 9, 2019 by JBL

This is pretty cool: Open Problems in Algebraic Combinatorics blog.  (It’s attached to this conference.)

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“Mathematics Made Difficult” by Carl E. Linderholm

Posted on April 2, 2018 by JBL

I have seen attributed to Halmos (Linderholm’s advisor) the description of this book as an in-joke to the mathematical community, and that’s about right: I don’t think it would be possible to explain why it’s funny to someone who doesn’t … Continue reading →

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A nice note

Posted on April 22, 2017 by JBL

Purely in the category of self-congratulation: I received a lovely note (edited below) from an advisor in the University Honors Program, for which I’ve been teaching multivariable calculus, differential equations and linear algebra this year.  I heard through many disappointed … Continue reading →

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Herstmonceux

Posted on August 3, 2016 by JBL

As I mentioned, after Vancouver I went to a conference at Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex, England.  It was mathematically excellent, and I feel that BBC detective shows properly prepared me for my first visit to the UK.  Trees in England … Continue reading →

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Vancouver

Posted on July 27, 2016 by JBL

For FPSAC.  The part of the conference I attended was excellent, particularly an outstanding talk by Jennifer Morse on Macdonald polynomials.  Had dinner in a rotating restaurant which was fun (although I did find the rotation slightly nauseating).  Also walked … Continue reading →

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“The Pleasure of Finding Things Out” by Richard Feynman

Posted on June 8, 2016 by JBL

This book is a collection of short pieces by Feynman, including a number that were speeches or transcripts of interviews.  I thought there were several very interesting pieces, a bunch of repetition between different bits, and some odd choices about … Continue reading →

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Some more links on UMN faculty organizing

Posted on January 24, 2016 by JBL

From the Minnesota Daily, Faculty files to unionize. From MPR, U faculty file petition toward union vote. From City Pages, Faculty file for union to bring the U’s focus back to the classroom. From Workday Minnesota, University of Minnesota faculty file for union election. … Continue reading →

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UMN faculty union drive

Posted on January 20, 2016 by JBL

Faculty at the University of Minnesota are filing to form a union!  It’s a group consisting of tenured, tenure-track, and contingent (adjunct) faculty, looking to join the SEIU education local.  This is the same union that organized Hamline adjuncts in … Continue reading →

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