2. The Melbourne University Mathematics & Statsitics Society presents:

3. Beauty and Zen in Mathematics Daniel Yeow 2005

4. Daniel, what are you smoking?

5. What to do? Try not. Do or do not, there is no try Don’t think, feel Throw away assumptions Let your imagination run free

6. Relax! DON’T Panic Think too hard Say “This is too hard!” DO Be at peace Clear your mind Say “This is easy, I can do this”

7. Sun Tzu Says… “Know your enemy, know yourself and your victory will not be endangered in a hundred engagements”

8. Press alt-tab Daniel

9. That’s beautiful Daniel, but what about Zen? Zen is about formlessness What about tools? Aren’t they forms? “The tool is a tool of formless form” ~ Bruce Lee

10. How about this?

11. Press alt-tab Daniel

12. Its not all about Kung Fu “A good martial artist does not become tense but ready, not thinking yet not dreamy, ready for whatever may come” “when there is an opportunity… I do not hit, it hits all by itself” “It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory”

13. Don’t think too hard Lets say you have two taps and three buckets It takes one tap two minutes to fill one bucket What is the minimum amount of time it takes to fill all three buckets, and how would you do it? (alt-tab Dan)

14. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid of: Being wrong! bashing “playing” guessing

15. You can’t handle the proof! Paradox, Edition 3, 2004

16. Press alt-tab Daniel

17. Tricks! Mathematicians are basically lazy If you’ve written down pages and pages of working, especially on a UMO problem, then there is probably an easier way.

18. Perspective on Problems There is often more than one way to look at a problem. How many unique integer solutions can be found for a,b,c in say, a + b + c = 100 where a, b, c cannot equal zero?

19. Press alt-tab Daniel

20. One to look out for 2004 Schools Maths Olympics, Question 15

21. Tell them the one about the fly Daniel This is yet another cue for you to press alt-tab

22. Representations A paper tiger only looks scary from the front How about this – find the minimum value of: 2004 Australian Mathematics Competition, Senior Paper, question 29 Hint: what other ways of representing this are there?

23. Press alt-tab Daniel

24. Now for a challenge! “the clincher” Express 989 x 1001 x 1007 + 320 as a product of primes 2002 UMO, Question 17

25. Press alt-tab Daniel

26. But Why? University Maths Olympics Mathematics in general Martial arts Life

27. ...coming soon to a MUMS seminar near you

28. Slideshow available at http://www.ms.unimelb.edu.au/~mums Questions? Comments? Insults? please direct all fan-mail to largestprime@gmail.com