N is closed in R

Note-1: Post is not about Metric Space discussions, but about my experience with the 10XX batch as a tutor  for ST-1 (Mathematical Analysis).

Note-2: Reason for the title, is around the end of post. you may directly skip to that part.

Note-3: This post is going to be pretty long and boring, so can be skipped.

I was assigned the Tutorials for this course in July. I was informed that Dr. A. D. Joshi (retd. Prof. from Dept of Mathematics) is taking the course. I was little unsure, as in how will it be to assist a total stranger, who doesn't actually belongs to our department. But first hand interaction went quite well. I heard him discussing countable sets with the students.That very moment I liked his way of looking at analysis, which was not completely theoretical.

Tutorials started. Though I had an "O" in ST-1, to be frank I am not very good in it. But with the help of Akanksha and few books and some hard work, I got  confidence. At the end of semester I feel I have improved a lot in the subject.

In first lecture itself I announced that its not at all compulsory to attend the sessions(scheduled once a week). Initially attendance was not good, not bad kind. That encouraged me. But slowly it decayed like anything. You can imagine the pattern.. 48, 14, 27, 43, 16, 20, 25, 21, 20, 4, 7, 6, 10 ... thats how it was. Coming down to 4 in class of 50 was a real shock to me. I kept on wondering whats wrong with me. I discussed the issue with people who are experienced in the field. But somehow, there was no point in changing the strategy. I went on with it. I tried asking those 4 who were almost regular, that they can tell me the actual problem, I won't mind. But there reaction was, they like mine better than the tutorials for other 2 subjects. So, I left it to time. But I was disheartened. My love and zeal for teaching these topics, was suppressed by their non-response. I no more felt like taking efforts.

Just a week before 2nd internals, few of them got really scared, after looking at their 1st internal scores. They requested for extra sessions. That week I worked some 4 hours with them. And after looking at 2nd internal scores, I smiled, because it was worth those 2-3 extra sessions. And I got some of my lost enthusiasm back.

Why I am writing this today?  Today was the end-term exam. First person I saw was a girl, who was upset on how difficult the question paper was. How could Sir do this with them, with such a difficult paper. I found it okay kind. Though it was not easy, there was nothing impossible there. Then came another, who was again upset. This girl was regular after 2nd internals, unlike the first one. Her reaction was "Why didn't you took the complete course. If you would have been there, it  must have been lot better. Tutorial helped me a lot to help the concepts, but the lectures were helpless".

My point, which I could not actually tell them was... Why don't you understand, the course has to be blend of the two. And by what I know and felt about ADJ, he is amazing. Its just that his way is little different and diagrammatic. But he cannot be blamed for your poor performance. It is you who are responsible for that.

Then comes the reason for the statement in tutorial which is revolving in mind. Both the girls proved it in the paper(as they told me). No wonder. But how they did was wonderful. They were somehow able to show, that all the limit points of set of  Natural nos. lie in R. But I was not able to understand how come they don't realize that Naturals don't have limit points.

Anyways, to my relief, after few mins two guys came who have proved it in the right manner (i.e. since N doesn't have limit point it has to be closed), and they were quite confident and relaxed about it, which made me feel better.

I don't have any regrets. Because it helped me to learn and evolve in the subject over the time. It might have been a better experience with the participation. But that taught me many new aspects of teaching.

PS: So many times during these 4 months I felt an urge to lighten myself with the burden of feelings I had about the experience. But I never could. May be because that was not the right time. And it is now, because the experience is complete now.

Post PS: Check out this tone-matrix. Just put your speakers on, and start clicking. I am sure you will enjoy.

latest instance of RAM

Yeah.. here I am, giving latest and bit simpler instance of my RAM.

PS: It is advisable to at least get my interpretation of  RAM from linked post. At the same time it is not advisable  to read it complete, if you want to remain in state to read this one complete :D


So here it goes..

Well, Some months back, may be around 6... I don't remember exactly. We ended on some calculations, in particular covariances, some big matrix kind stuff. I invested a week or so in it. And it was not only in hand-written notes, but I also made the complete Latex document. And that document even went through some 2-3 revisions by MBR. But somehow, we had to drop that strategy at that moment and moved to some new line of action.

Now when 3 days back, we again decided to move to previous strategy. That meant we need those calculations. And in obvious manner he remarked, "We already have them". And this silly-idiot-stupid-me VERY confidently kept on pleading that "No, it hasn't been done yet", or "I don't remeber doing any such thing"... and what not. And today morning when I started re-doing the stuff, I realised... Ohhh!! looks like has been done some time. Is it Deja vu? 

Not delaying further, I accepted my RAM, retrieved the PDF file, and started working ahead :-/

reasonable reasons

Sometimes reasons which others give us are not unreasonable; but somehow we are not able to link our logic to those reasons. And only resort to the situation is to stay happy and content with this reason at the back of mind that at least they are not being unreasonable.

Every product and package in the market comes with its own Terms and Conditions (remember seeing that T & C in smaller font, somewhere down, with that " * " ). So why not life as a package put T&C on its every product. So does every relation. After all they give us so much, then why can't they put some ifs and buts. They ought to; we owe that much.

But sometimes life, and in turn relations are so nice to us that we forget how it is actually working under some conditions. It just takes some time to accept the facts.

After that, LIFE is as smooth and beautiful as ever** and we again start loving it.


PS: These are my experiences and inferences; I would love to hear, if anyone reading these, feels like sharing  some diversions from my theory.



**T & C apply.  :D