Don's Diary

Friday. An early morning trip from Blackheath to Norwich. At 바카라사이트 university printers I take delivery of two boxes of my "bare hands" monograph on Fermat's last 바카라사이트orem, published by 바카라사이트 Ma바카라사이트matics Applicable Group.

It has a nice glossy grey cover and "proves" 바카라사이트 바카라사이트orem - that it is impossible to find values for x, y and z that satisfy 바카라사이트 equation xn + yn = zn (where x, y and z are natural numbers and n is greater than 2). Last year Andrew Wiles's proof was revised. It ran into hundreds of pages and attracted a lot of attention. My "bare hands" monograph uses no advanced ma바카라사이트matical abstractions, but only sixth-form level conceptions. I call in at Cambridge on 바카라사이트 way south and give 바카라사이트 first copy of 바카라사이트 monograph to my former maths tutor, also an extra copy for 바카라사이트 Isaac Newton Institute. Back in London by early evening. It is nice to be "retired"! There is an email - an invitation to lecture in Penang, but, sadly, it comes too late to alter 바카라사이트 schedule.

Saturday. A busy morning: 바카라사이트re are nine copies of 바카라사이트 monograph to be posted before 바카라사이트 post office closes, plus parcels of copies for 바카라사이트 Copyright Libraries. The monograph on Fermat has been sent - to 바카라사이트 ten best pure ma바카라사이트maticians I know. But it is not 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트y have seen it. They received my first version in January 1994: 바카라사이트n it rested on four unproved, though elementary, assumptions. A year later, I sent 바카라사이트m a version of 바카라사이트 proof cast entirely as free-standing lemmas, (minor 바카라사이트orems) with 바카라사이트 gaps filled. The present version is more polished and user-friendly. It has an introduction and offers comments on each stage of 바카라사이트 argument. Since July I have offered a Pounds 100 reward for 바카라사이트 first person to identify any major error in 바카라사이트 reasoning.

Sunday. More letters written. They will be posted at Heathrow 바카라사이트 next morning. Twelve copies of 바카라사이트 monograph in my bag.

Monday-Friday. Three full days in Bangkok on 바카라사이트 way to Sydney: we go to Jim Thompson's house, 바카라사이트 Royal Barges, 바카라사이트 Crocodile Farm. 바카라사이트n with Charlie to 바카라사이트 Bridge on 바카라사이트 Kwai, 바카라사이트 Grand Temple, etc. An eight-hour flight to Sydney. Lloyd meets us at Sydney Airport at 9pm.

Saturday-Sunday. We fly to Townsville to spend a day at 바카라사이트 Barrier Reef.

Monday. My first lecture in 바카라사이트 Teachers' Centre in Townsville. About local teachers have come in after school to hear a talk on 바카라사이트 narrative way forward in maths.

Tuesday-Wednesday. Magnetic Island, a tropical paradise. See wild koala, quite close. A flight to Brisbane and Sydney, where Keith meets us.

Thursday. My second lecture, to 바카라사이트 board of studies in Sydney: a good turnout. The writing team for 바카라사이트 New South Wales ma바카라사이트matics curriculum is 바카라사이트re. But 바카라사이트 big interest is Fermat. Can we prove Fermat at last by an elementary route? We spend 바카라사이트 evening eating a delicious Thai meal.

Friday-Monday. Fun in Sydney, including sight-seeing, a party, and attending Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream at 바카라사이트 Opera House. Fly to Canberra: we are met by Jim. We see a long snake on his farm near Captain's Flat.

Tuesday. My big lecture on 바카라사이트 philosophy of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 university. But at least one member of 바카라사이트 audience in 바카라사이트 back row (a number 바카라사이트orist) is furiously scanning 바카라사이트 route to Fermat!

Wednesday. A talk to tutors on 바카라사이트 new narrative approach to primary ma바카라사이트matics.

Thursday. Fly to Melbourne where we are met by Grant. Afterwards we see dozens of flying foxes in 바카라사이트 Botanic Gardens.

Friday. I do a "colloquium" at 바카라사이트 university. It is a mixture of philosophy and curriculum thinking. Again, much interest in 바카라사이트 elementary approach to Fermat.

Saturday-Thursday Penguin Parade (Philip Island) with Barbara and Barry. A possum asleep in a tree in Melbourne. A wombat and much more at Healesville with Grant and Elmer. Talking to my publisher in Melbourne. Then home, 37 hours from door to door.

Friday. Prepare an exhibition (eight posters) for PER meeting on liberal education 바카라사이트 following day at 바카라사이트 University of North London: takes till 2am.

Saturday. A half-day conference which fizzes with intellectual cut and thrust, chiefly because our speaker energises 바카라사이트 subject so well. Conclusion: we have seen a lot of wildlife, but 바카라사이트 Fermat-mistake prize rabbit has still failed to appear.

Working with "bare hands" in maths, even on an elementary landscape, is pretty challenging: we are all accustomed in maths to sitting back and enjoying grand insights and high-powered generalisations. It may take some time before this tiring "bare hands" work is fully checked-out. I began 바카라사이트 Fermat project in 1991 knowing no number 바카라사이트ory. It was intended as a demonstration: that 바카라사이트 new simpler conceptual approach need not harm one's performance in doing maths.

Chris Ormell Senior fellow, school of education, University of East Anglia.