First Blog

Impossible Problems by Don Allen Impossible problems are everywhere.   They are in your life, your friends’ lives, your work, your family, your dreams, your future, and your expectations.   No matter what you do, no matter what you try, you can’t avoid them.   Impossible problems come in many flavors. ·          Problems you can’t solve ·          Problems than change when you try to solve them ·          Problems solved on the basis of past knowledge ·          Problems involving a change of scale ·          Problems about systems exhibiting memory In this note, we take up the nature of impossible problems.   We will illustrate some, but naturally we cannot solve them.   We’ll consider these topics, though the last one is problematic. ·          Definitions ·          Categories ·          Sources ·          Creating ·          Solutions But we should begin with the nice problems – those that actually have a solution, and not only that a unique so

Writing well – for math class???   Yes, writing well is important for the expression of ideas.   This is not a deviation from the needs of math students.    Even math students need to express themselves using ours or any language.    Indeed, how can anything be achieved without something of a command of thought - though linguistic expression.       Consider the article at   http://chronicle.com/article/10-Tips-on-How-to-Write-Less/124268/   It lists many ideas for students, professionals, and even parents on how to express their ideas by writing well. Included in this list are the importance of (1) the practice of writing, (2) the goals of writing, (3) the time required for proper and correct expression, (4) the profundity of written expression, and more.   These are not only tips, they are pathways and guidelines everyone needs to understand.   Specifically for students, one cannot simply pull an all-nighter, under pressure, to produce a masterpiece or to solve a diff