Thursday, August 6, 2009

Banquet Time

Wednesday evening the main building dining hall was transformed into our banquet hall. At times the room erupted with laughter (at least it did so every time someone at table two refilled a drink) and throughout it was filled with lively conversation. People ditched the jeans and t-shirts for a bit more elegant attire. The night included a splendid presentation by Eric O'Brien who brought to life what he called structures of numbers showing us some patterns and relationships by multiplying numbers every now and again throwing in some funny story or witty comment thus informing us while entertaining us as well. Thanks Eric. Thanks also to Eric's wife who we learned spent her 20th wedding anniversary here with her husband at the math institute and to their kids who also attended for not keeping Eric all to themselves this weekend thus allowing us to learn all that we did. There were prizes (one of which I won -- woohooo!!!), puzzle books and pencils for all and a bit of sadness on my part as I thought about how this was in some way a marker of the summer institute coming close to an end.

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