When did you matriculate? (If you don't mind saying)

Before you were born. Literally. But it feels like last year.PS Nonius, Nonius, where did the time go? Life slips away like sand through open fingers.

QuoteOriginally posted by: LongThetaBefore you were born. Literally. But it feels like last year.PS Nonius, Nonius, where did the time go? Life slips away like sand through open fingers.Time is bitch, ain't it?

Time is unforgiving.

It seems I?ve inadvertently triggered a wave of reflection and contemplation.I know what you mean though, I sometimes find myself looking wistfully at the innocent Freshers (and not just with perverse intentions (O: ).

If Part III does not cover all topic's you are after,then you can also request a reading course. I didthis in order to study the theory of distributions.You just agree on the topic, text etc; learn thestuff with some supervision from a sympatheticmember of staff and then sit an exam.

QuoteOriginally posted by: DrBenIf Part III does not cover all topic's you are after, then you can also request a reading course. I did this in order to study the theory of distributions.Friedlander doesn't teach his course on distributions any more?

QuoteOriginally posted by: DreamerIt seems I've inadvertently triggered a wave of reflection and contemplation.It doesn't take much to trigger it QuoteI know what you mean though, I sometimes find myself looking wistfully at the innocent Freshers (and not just with perverse intentions).So young and yet so old

QuoteOriginally posted by: LongThetaQuoteOriginally posted by: DrBenIf Part III does not cover all topic's you are after, then you can also request a reading course. I didthis in order to study the theory of distributions.Friedlander doesn't teach his course on distributions any more?Friedlander was a really cool guy, and was around when I was there but had retired from the department.I mostly used his book and Hormander's Vol.1 of the Linear PDE 4 vol series. As a general note, peopleinterested in analysis should take care at Cambridge since the department is rather weak in this area. Mainlybecuase they appointed non-analysts to analysis chairs.

Yes, I expected that Friedlander should be retired by now. Which non-analysts were appointed to analysis chairs? I'm not aware that there was an analysis chair at damtp. Or do you mean in pure maths?

QuoteOriginally posted by: LongThetaYes, I expected that Friedlander should be retired by now. Which non-analysts were appointed to analysis chairs? I'm not aware that there was an analysis chair at damtp. Or do you mean in pure maths?I meant DPMMS rather than DAMPT. First N.Hitchin was appointed to the DPMMS analysis chair(he works in Geometry), now W.Gowers has the analysis chair and he works in combinatorics.

Dr Ben, I think this is the second time you've brought this analysis thing up...Gowers does combinatorial analysis, and is a Fields Medallist, so perhaps he deserves his chair.Analysis is a broad field you know...In any case, is the Rouse Ball Professorship a specifically analysis post? I though it was just a Chair in DPMMS.

QuoteOriginally posted by: DrBenI meant DPMMS rather than DAMPT. First N. Hitchin was appointed to the DPMMS analysis chair (he works in Geometry), now W. Gowers has the analysis chair and he works in combinatorics.Okay. I forgot that Nigel Hitchin was ever in Cambridge. I always think that he moved from Warwick to Oxford directly. But he's a great guy, and he does a lot of things, just as much as Atiyah did a lot of things. Hitchin is not a Fields medallist, but he's a Fields medal calibre. Gowers is a medallist. I don't know him, but to say that he does "combinatorics" short cuts him a bit too much. These guys may not be "analysts" in the classical sense (whatever that is), but they know analysis. They are both great men.

[A libelous statement about a recent hiring in DPMMS hastily removed ]

Hmm, i might be able to guess what you were going to say...in relation to the MS rather than the DPM ?