August 2

Thursday August 2, 2007 5:00 am Lethbridge

It is +10 C with a high forecast of +32 C. Sunrise 6:02 Sunset 21:13 Hours of daylight: 15:11

A. Morning Musings

5:00 am

It feels so good to have cool air in the house in the morning.

Immediate	Description	Time
Literature	Continue reading "Howards End" by E. M. Forster	1 hr
Mathematics	Begin ch. 1 of "A Transition to Advanced Mathematics" by Smith, Eggen & St. Andre	1 hr
Mathematics	Complete problems 4.11 - 4.18 of "The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems"	1 hr
Mathematics	Continue reading "The Black Swan" by Nassim Taleb	1 hr

C. Actual Learning Activities

7:00 am

I have just tried my new Pelikan 250 Traditional fountain pen on the Rhodia pad of paper. I love it. It is a perfect match of ink and paper and pen nib. I might as well add my personality. The paper is slightly heavier than the notebook paper I am currently using. I will check a couple of local stationery outlets and see if it is possible to buy a similar product that is less expensive. Everything is on the table as I begin to experiment with this new environment.

I have also realized that I need a 6" plastic ruler for drawing graphs.

Finally, I want to revisit the university bookstore and have another look at an algebra textbook that I noticed last week. It might be what I need to help introduce me to algebraic proofs. At the moment I am struggling with this aspect of the abstract algebra books that I currently have.

Mathematics 32

August 2, 2007

7:15 am

I have just completed my first effort of using my Pelikan M250 for making mathematics notes.

calculus

7:20 am

I really like the feel of the pen on the paper. My original idea, that such an approach of a very nice pen with very good paper would also have the effect of giving me a greater pride in my efforts to work through the various exercises in the books I am using and would help me avoid careless mistakes. So far I would say I am right, but this may be a Hawthorne Effect. Time will tell.

5:00PM

I have just completed my first effort at using the book I just purchased at the uni bookstore: A Transition to Advanced Mathematics (sixth edition) by Douglas Smith, Maurice Eggen & Richard St Andre. (2006). This looks like an important prerequisite to Herstein's Abstract Algebra, particularly when it comes to exercises involving proof and "show that ...".

algebra

5:05 PM

This was a good first review of logic and the basic terms of propositional logic and the use of truth tables. I had little difficulty reviewing this material. It was actually fun to get back to creating a few truth tables. I am looking forward to trying the remaining exercises.

11:30 am

I am back from the university with a 6" plastic ruler and a new used book "A Transition to Advanced Mathematics".

1:30 PM

I am back from Staples stationery store where I bought one pad of paper "Cambridge" to compare it with the Rhodia pad. There was no comparison. While the Cambridge looked to be very similar to the Rhodia, when I tried writing on it with my Pelikan M250 Traditional the ink bled into the paper and made a mess. I am now seeing the interaction effect of various inks with various papers. Fascinating.