A while ago, Khoon Yu posted a math problem involving inequality. If you are interested, do give it a try:

Given numbers and such that . Prove that .

The solution I wrote: An Inequality Problem – Khoon Yu Tan’s blog (14 October 2009)

Last week, I was talking to several professors whose research area is analysis because I was hoping to start a reading course.

One of them is currently on sabbatical; the other is currently supervising three PhD students. At the end, I narrowed down to two options — functional analysis or distribution theory.

Personally, I do not know much about both fields. (I guess that’s why I chose to do a reading course at the first place, duh!) So the decision making relied heavily on the 30-minute brief preview of what I would be doing should I decide to have them as my adviser. As the title of this post suggests, I picked the latter.

I am now reading with Professor Mark Williams. By choosing distribution theory, I am positioning myself closer to the field of partial differential equations (PDE). As an undergraduate at the University of Michigan (UM), I did not take a PDE class; instead, I enrolled in a Fourier analysis course as an elective. Like every other people to whom I spoke, Professor Williams said that basic background in PDE can always be built through additional readings.

A reading course, more commonly known as an independent study at UM, is a 3-credit-hour “course” without the traditional classroom settings. There are neither lectures nor deadlines for homework or exams. Instead, a text was chosen by the professor and there will be a weekly meeting where I will present what I have self-studied and difficulties (which arise from problems I choose to attempt). As my adviser, Professor Williams will facilitate my learning by filling in gaps (e.g. lines in between proof which I do not comprehend) and sharing germane remarks (in addition to that of the text). The text that I am using is Introduction to the Theory of Distributions by Friedlander and Joshi.

I have recently made my photos on Flickr private. Please understand this is a sheer privacy concern — if we know each other, you are definitely more than welcome to browse through my photo albums. Log in Flickr with your existing Yahoo! account and request to add me as a friend. Once I approve your request, you will be my Flickr buddy and henceforth granted access to view my photos. If your username does not reflect your name, it would be very helpful if you could include your name so that I can identify your accurately. I apologize for any inconvenience and certainly appreciate your patience.

***

"Goodies" from UNC Campus Heath Service

I am finally done with this tedious routine. What a relief! Yahoo!

***

Last Friday, I was stressed out after attending a notationally heavy class which I did not understand. Symbols such as and were driving me nuts. I would need some time to imagine/visualize what these sets are; but the professor seemed to think that they should register in less than 2 seconds, and moved on with lecturing without pausing.

So, after class, a bunch of my classmates (apparently I was not alone) decided to get some beer on Franklin Street. I was rather tired, so I did not join them. But I decided to get a bottle of wine while I do my grocery shopping before heading home. I got myself a bottle of sauvignon blanc, and when the cashier rang it up, I handed her my driver’s license for ID verification. She politely declined; when I perused the receipt, the spot that usually indicates the customer’s date of birth stated instead “Cashier has bypassed age verification.“

My goodness, I am not even in my late 20s, yet!

***

My teaching is going well thus far. Even though Math 110 (College Algebra) covers elementary material, but introducing the notion of quadratic equations to first-time learners does require considerable amount of effort. Students generally find completing the square absurdly hard to perform. Nonetheless I am enjoying this experience, since deep down of a corner of my heart, I am passionate about being an educator.

***

Last weekend was the Labor Day weekend. I was in the mood of hosting a small and simple dinner with some of my friends in the Mathematics Department. I invited two friends, Carole Agyeman-Prempeh and Indrani Rao, to my humble abode.

Almost done cooking

Carole arrived before I was even done preparing the meal, which was nice, as I had someone to chat with while cooking.

Boston lettuce, drunken chicken, and seafood platter

Voilà! The dinner I prepared consisted of three main entrées: Boston lettuce with oyster sauce, Chinese style drunken chicken (a cold dish), and seafood platter with tamarind sauce. I had a pot of herbal chicken soup to complement these dishes.

Myself, Carole, and Indrani

After dinner, we went over to Indrani’s apartment (she lives in a neighborhood which is 15 minutes walk away) to taste some chocolate cake that she baked. It was a wonderful way to spend a relaxing evening.

Today marks the first day of Fall 2009, the beginning of the second year of my graduate education.

I am enrolled in three mathematics courses. They are

• Math 676 — Modules and Linear Algebra
• Math 753 — Measure and Integration
• Math 781 — Differentiable Manifolds

I shall spare you the description of these courses. A few years back, I would have never imagined myself saying “I am taking some 700-level math classes.” Aside from these math classes, I am also taking Grad 810, a course titled “Communication for International Teaching Assistants.” I am not sure how this class is going to benefit me, but I should be able to gauge a week or two into the semester. I am seeking for a seminar which focuses on teaching tips and techniques as well as classroom culture, instead of the language barrier in English. I can always drop it if the emphasis is otherwise.

Furthermore, I am continuing my French language education. Je veux améliorer mon français (I want to improve my French). I spoke to the instructor of French 300, French Composition and Grammar, and she had graciously allowed me to sit in her class. As much as I would like to enroll as a regular student, I think I am better off without the extra stress from my obligations in my French class. If I have the time, I shall try to submit the assignments; after all, doing your homework and getting feedbacks on them are the best approaches in any language learning, I reckon.

Apart from my being a student in a classroom, I have the opportunity to play the role of an instructor. I have been assigned to teach Math 110 — Algebra this fall. Section 001 runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 08:00 through 08:50 (See UNC Course Catalog — Mathematics). I do not know how exciting the material is going to be, but I am definitely thrilled to assume an instructor’s role officially for the first time.

As the new semester begins, I hope that the following four months will not be as rough as last fall semester, and I look forward to teaching Math 110 and to spicing up my French!

What a stressful week!

I sat for the Topology exam on August 19 and the Analysis counterpart on August 21. Comprehensive exams (sometimes referred to as qualifying reviews or preliminaries) are 3-hour exams, each covering two-semester course material in the introductory graduate-level curriculum at UNC Chapel Hill. For example, the Analysis exam I took is a cumulative exam for Math 653 and Math 656, Real and Complex Analysis respectively. In short, it’s about cramming a year worth of material, for each subject. Passing these PhD comprehensive exams are crucial to moving towards your PhD candidacy. These exams are administered twice a year (in January and August).

I have to pass three exams in total — Analysis, Algebra, and Topology. I hope that I can pass both I just sat for. However optimistic I am trying to be, I am well aware that I did not prepare well for my Topology exam. While I keep my fingers crossed, it is certainly likely that I have to retake my Topology comprehensive exam early next year.

If you are interested in taking a peek at the questions, click here: UNC Analysis and Topology Comprehensive Exams (Fall 2009).

We shall address the outgoing Prime Minister of Malaysia by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from today onwards.

As Najib takes over Abdullah’s position, I attended a seminar today on Malaysian politics at UNC. The talk, titled The Najib Administration: The Politics of Reform in Malaysia by Dr James Chin was organized by the Carolina Asia Center. He gave a brief background on UMNO, which ran a gamut from the Malay supremacy (ketuanan Melayu) to money politics. He discussed several prominent issues that are going to beleaguer Najib as soon as he takes the oath at the Istana Negara, which includes, but not limited to, the New Economic Policy (which he wittily dubbed at the Never Ending Problem), stronger opposition, the rising of SAPP etc. He briefly mentioned Anwar Ibrahim and his sodomy charges. After the seminar, I could not help but thinking that Malaysia would serve as the best option for a political science student who needs a case study to work on.

Lately, I listened to a French song in my French class, as required by the syllabus. The lyrics was rather bizarre and maybe a little disturbing. Otherwise the song was fine. Guess what — the tune is stuck in my head now. Ahh…

I shall bestow you the opportunity to enjoy the music. Then, if you would like to understand the lyrics, scroll down; I provided both French and the translated English version (quoted from elsewhere).

***

J’ai recemment écouté une chanson française pour mon cours de français, comme requis par le programme. Les paroles étaient plutôt bizarres et peut-être un peu inquiétants. Sinon, la chanson était bien. Maintenant, la musique est resté gravé dans ma tête ! Oh la la …

Je vous partage la musique. Si vous voulez comprendre les paroles, regardez à la fin de journal; je fournis les deux versions des paroles.

Click here to listen. Cliquez ici pour écouter.

En français (in French):

Idiot qui ne comprend pas
la légend’ qui comme ça
dit qu’une gitane
implora la lune
jusqu’a lever du jour
Pleurant elle demandait
un gitan qui voudrait
l’épouser par amour

Tu auras ton homme, femme brune
du ciel repondit la pleine lune,
mais il faut me donner
ton enfant le premier
dès que te sera né
cell’qui pour un homme
son enfant inmole
bien peu l’aurait aimé

Refrain:
Lune tu veux être mère
tu ne trouves pas l’amour
qui exauc’ ta prière
dis-moi lune d’argent
toi qui n’as pas de bras
comment bercer l’enfant
Hijo de la luna

D’un gitan canelle
naquit l’enfant
tout comme l’hermine
il ètait blanc
ses prunelles grises
pas couleur olive
fils albinos de lune
Maudit soit-tu bâtard!
t’es le fils d’un gadjo
t’es le fils d’un blafard

Refrain

Le gitan se croyant déshonoré
couteau en main sa femme alla trouver
l’enfant n’est pas de moi
tu m’as trompé je vois
à mort il la blessa
Et l’enfant dans ses bras
la colline il monta
là-haut l’abandonna…

Refrain

Et les soirs oú l’enfant joue et sourit
de joie aussi la lune s’arrondit
et lorsque l’enfant pleure
elle décroit pour lui faire
un berceau de lumière

En anglais (in English):

Foolish is he who doesn’t understand.

A legend tells of a gypsy woman
Who pleaded to the moon until dawn.
Weeping she begged
At the break of dawn
To marry a gypsy man.

“You’ll have your man, tawny skin,”
Said the full moon from the sky.
“But in return I want your first child
Whom you have with him.
Because she who sacrifices her child
So that she is not alone,
Isn’t likely to love it very much.”

Chorus:
Moon, you want to be mother,
But you cannot find a love
Who makes you a woman.
Tell me, silver moon,
What you intend to do
With a child of flesh.
A-ha-ha, a-ha-ha,
Son of the moon.

From a cinnamon-skinned father
A son was born,
White as the back of an ermine,
With gray eyes instead of olive –
Moon’s albino child.
“Damn his appearance!
This is not a gypsy man’s son
And I will not put up with that.”

Chorus

Believing to be dishonored,
The gypsy went to his wife,
A knife in his hand.
“Whose son is this?
You’ve certainly fooled me!”
And he wounded her mortally.
Then he went to the woodlands
With the child in his arms
And left it behind there.

Chorus

And the nights the moon is full
It is because the child
Is in a good mood.
And if the child cries,
The moon wanes
To make it a cradle.

So here you go – the solution to my previously posted problem. You may download it in any two formats:

• PDF
• TeX

Have fun!

Please let me know if I make any mistake. Thanks!

Hey folks!

I have been super busy of late. I shall write more on my graduate school experience (as a neophyte) later in a separate post during fall break. In the mean time, I have an interesting problem to share with you:

To all readers with single-variable calculus background (US Calculus II equivalent; UMICH Math 116 equivalent; UNC Math 232 equivalent): Determine whether the following sequence converges or diverges. Justify your answer.

I shall reveal the answer in a week or so. Happy attempting!

For the past week, I have been trying to savor the excitement of being at a new place, a new school, a new campus, and a new environment. I look forward to getting acquainted with my fellow graduate students, especially the first-year students. I have been attending graduate level mathematics classes. However, I was (and still am) rather overwhelmed by some of my classes, especially my favorite analysis.

My analysis homework (and lectures) inundates my first week with pressure, stress, and to some extend, fear. The professor speaks at the speed of light, even when he presents unfamiliar proofs of new theorems and/or propositions. I am lost in the class. The homework is a nightmare. The problems assigned are excruciatingly difficult. They macerate my confidence in shreds. I could spent countless hours on a single problem and ended up not knowing where to even start. It certainly does not feel good.

Last week, when I first felt really down (and before I spoke to anyone), I experienced a mild depression. I was feeling blue for the rest of the evening (after sitting in a 1.5 hours long lecture not understanding a single thing), and I experienced insomnia that night. I tried not to think of what happen – but my instinct told me this is “alarming” and I worried nonstop.

Thank goodness I spoke to a couple of people about what happen. Most of them, especially my former professor whom I consider a friend, gave me useful advices. I managed to stay more positive and I have been starting to feel better…

Wish me luck. I really need them this time…

Disclaimer: Substantial part of this entry is written in Malay Language.

Last summer, I found some of my old essays I wrote when I was in secondary school. I wanted to digitize them, but due to my short stay last year, I was not able to do so. Today, I have the opportunity to do so and I would like to share two of the essays with you. The first essay was written in Form 4, while the latter was written in Form 5. Since these essays are not short, I shall post the second essay as a separate entry.

The credit I received for this essay was 92 out of 100, with the comment “Amat baik.”

Essay 1

Madah disusun pembuka bicara,
Tangan dihulur restu dipinta,
Maaf kupohon jika tersilap bahasa,
Izinkan hamba menggema suara.

Demikianlah serangkap pantun buat membuka tirai perbahasan saya pada pagi yang mulia ini.

Selamat sejahtera saya ucapkan kepada Tuan Pengerusi Majlis, Yang Berusaha Pengarah Pendidikan Negeri Kedah, pengetua-pengetua dan guru-guru yang dihormati, panel hakim yang arif lagi menegakkan keadilan, barisan pencadang dan rakan seperjuangan sekalian. Pada pagi yang mulia ini, saya sebagai pembangkang akan membahaskan tajuk perbahasan yang berbunyi “Penggunaan Internet Membawa Banyak Keburukan kepada Masyarakat Malaysia.”

Para hadirin,

Internet sesungguhnya memainkan peranaan yang penting dalam menghadapi cabaran-cabaran alaf baru, khasnya arus globalisasi yang berteraskan teknologi maklumat. Internet banyak digunakan dalam pelbagai bidang terutamanya sektor perkilangan yang sedang berkembang pesat di negara kita. Internet juga digunakan secara meluas dalam bidang pendidikan. Oleh yang demikian, signifikan Internet dalam kehidupan masyarakat pada zaman atom ini tidak dapat disangkal lagi memandangkan Internet mendatangkan banyak faedah kepada penggunanya.

Haririn sekalian,

Pengunaan Internet telah mempercepat segala urusniaga baik urusniaga dalam negeri mahupun urusniaga antarabangsa Internet membolehkan maklumat dihantar dalam masa yang singkat walaupun jarak antara penghantar dan penerima agak jauh. Pesanan dapat dibuat dengan cepat dan mudah melalui Internet. Para peniaga tidak perlu mencari kertas untuk menulis surat tanya dan memasukkannya dalam peti surat. Dengan adanya Internet, pesanan dapat dibuat dalam sekelip mata sahaja. Sementelahan itu, sebaik sahaja pemborong menerima pesanan, penghantaraan stok atau produk boleh dilakukan dengan secepat mungkin. Ini telah menjimatkan banyak masa dan sekali gus telah merangsangkan pertumbuhan ekonomi di negara kita.

Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan,

Di samping mempercepat urusniaga, Internet turut memanfaatkan para guru dan para pelajar dalam proses pengajaran dan pembelajaraan. Para pelajar dapat memanfaatkan perkhidmatan Internet dengan menggunakannya untuk mencari maklumat untuk menimba ilmu pengetahuan atau menyiapkan tugasan. Maklumat-maklumat dapat dicari dengan bantuan enjin pencari dalam Internet. Internet menjadi pilihan kebanyakan pelajar masa kini untuk mendapatkan maklumat berbanding dengan perpustakaan kerana maklumat dalam buku di perpustakaan agak terhad. Sebaliknya, maklumat-maklumat dalam Internet dikumpul dari setiap pelosok dunia. Jadi, Internet telah memudahkan pelajar membuat kajian dan tugasan kerana para pelajar dapat menekploitasikan maklumat dalam Internet untuk tujuan pembelajaran.

Hadirin yang dihormati sekalian,

Selain itu, warga pendidik juga boleh memperoleh manfaat daripada Internet untuk tujuan pengajaran, Bahan-bahan pengajaran yang sesuai dapat diperoleh dengan menggunakan tetikus untuk melayari Internet. Bahan-bahan pengajaran yang sesuai bukan sahaja dapat menjadikan proses pembelejaraan dalam kelas lebih menarik, malah berupaya memaksimumkan keberkesanan pengajaran guru tersebut. Para guru juga boleh mendapatkan bantuan dan nasihat melalui Internet. Contohnya, guru-guru boleh memperoleh panduan untuk menyediakan rancangan pengajaran dan sebagainya. Pendek kata, penggunaan Internet membawa banyak kebaikan kepada masyarakat kita kerana bidang pendidikan yang merupakan teras pembentukan sebuah negara maju dapat dimajukan.

Para hadirin,

Internet juga bertindak sebagai media massa yang liberal dan menyediakan pelbagai berita terkini dari seluruh dunia. Pengunna Internet akan mengetahui perkembangan semasa di dunia ini. Melalui Internet yang serba canggih, berita bukan sahaja dipaparkan dalam bentuk teks, bahkan dalam bentuk gambar, bunyi dan lain-lain lagi yang berteraskan multimedia. Contohnya, pengguna Internet dari seluruh dunia dapat menyaksikan peristiwa serangan pengganas ke atas Amerika baru-baru ini secara langsung. Keruntuhan bangunan World Trade Center dapat diperhatikan melalui Internet. Pertandingan bola sepak yang berlangsung di luar negara juga dapat disaksikan secara langsung dengan menggunakan Internet. Rumusannya, Internet berupaya menyediakan berita terkini dari seluruh dunia dan membolehkan pengguna Internet peka terhadap peristiwa-peristiwa yang berlaku di seluruh dunia.

Hadirin sekalian,

Internet sebenarnya merupakan alat komunikasi yang sangat canggih. Dengan adanya e-mel, mesej dapat disampaikan dengan cepat dan mudah. Misalnya, ibu bapa dapat berhubang dengan anak mereka yang berada di luar negara dengan menggunakan Internet. Persidangan juga dapat dijalankan tanpa memerlukan anggota-anggotanya berkumpul di satu tempat yang spesifik. Contohnya dalam satu persidangan antarabangsa, pemimpin-pemimpin negara yang terlibat tidak perlu menaiki kapal terbang untuk menghadiri persidangan tersebut, sebaliknya mereka hanya perlu duduk di pejabat mereka yang mempunyai rangkaian Internet yang dapat berfungsi. Teknologi yang dikenali “video-conferencing” ini sememangnya telah menjimatkan masa dan melicinkan pentadbiran sesebuah negara secara tidak langsung.

Hadirin yang budiman sekalian,

Saya ingin membidas hujah barisan pencadang yang menyatakan bahawa Internet merupakan punca utama masalah sosial yang menjadi semakin membimbangkan pada hari ini. Sebenarnya, kekurangan didikan agama dan ketidakstabilan institusi kekeluargaan menjadi faktor utama bagi gejala sosial yang menjadi semakin barah. Pengguna Internet yang mempunyai keimanan yang kuat nescaya tidak akan melayari laman-laman web yang memaparkan unsur keganasan dan bahan-bahan lucah. Pengguna yang tidah bermoral inilah yang membawa masalah kepada masyarakat kita dengan melakukan sesuatu yang devian dan bercanggah dengan norma masyarakat. Justeru, Internet sememangnya membawa banyak kebaikan kepada masyarakat kita.

Kesimpulannya, setiap orang harus memanfaatkan Internet until memperoleh kebaikan semaksimum yang mungkin. Internet merupakan pemangkin kepada pembangunan dan kemajuan negara. Internet memainkan peranan yang penting dalam usaha merealisasikan Wawasan 2020 yang diilhamkan oleh Perdana Menteri kita yang dinamik, yakni Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Sekali lagi saya ingin menegaskan bahawa penggunaan Internet tidak membawa keburukan kepada masyarakat Malaysia, sebaliknya dapat memajukan negara. Sebelum saya mengundurkan diri, saya ingin menghidangkan serangkap pantun untuk tuan-tuan dan puan-puan.

Kalau ada jarum yang patah,
Jangan disimpan di dalam peti,
Kalau ada silap dan salah,
Jangan disimpan di dalam hati.

Sekian, terima kasih.

I was in Newark, NJ for a couple of days before my mum and I left for Malaysia. During my stay in New Jersey, I had the golden opportunity to meet up my my math professor David Radnell who taught me Differential Geometry almost two years ago.

He left the university when I was a junior (UK: third-year student), heading for a new chapter in his career in UAE. Coincidently, he was on a business trip to New Jersey when I was in Newark. We conveniently set up a meeting, to see how each of us is doing. The casual chat in Starbucks at Hilton Hotel lasted for about 2 hours. Well, we did have a lot of catch up to do!

Yesterday was April 15.

I attended my last French class. I worked on my last shift in the Math Lab. It was not just the last day of any semester, but the last day of my last semester as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan.

Irina (the director of Math Lab) spoke to me personally when I was tutoring in the Math Lab. She thanked me for the help for the past 7 semesters. I thanked her for hiring me 4 years ago at the first place.

Voilà! That’s the end of the undergraduate chapter in my book of life.

Yesterday, as I exited East Hall (the building that houses the Department of Mathematics), a guy who was walking next to me greeted me by my name. I tried remembering who he was, but to no avail. He obviously noticed my recalling and recounted how I tutored him in the Math Lab a couple of years ago. He commended my teaching skills.

Today, I am notified by standard mail that I have been awarded the Leon P. Zukowski Prize for 2008. I am so honored.

Leon Zukowski was an administrative staff member in the Department of Mathematics for over 25 years. Dedication, enthusiasm and meticulous attention to detail were the hallmarks of Lee’s work.  This award recognizes the student whose work in the Math Lab best carries on Lee’s tradition of dedication and responsibility.

These are absolutely the highlights of my week!

It is April now. It is no longer March when I used to say “Hey, I am graduating in a month!” I shall be graduating in less than a month. Am I ready to graduate?

Overall, yes! Of course, I do not hate studying and I certainly do not loathe being a student in a campus setting. I view graduation with mixed feelings – mainly elation and a handful of sadness. To me, the graduation ceremony is an acknowledgment (and celebration, too) of the completion of my undergraduate studies, which I hail as a milestone in my history of education. I am happy that I am finally obtaining my bachelor’s degree in Pure Mathematics and General Physics after four years of hard work. I see my completion of my undergraduate career as an important accomplishment in my life.

Moreover, graduating in April marks the end of a chapter in the Book of Eric. Although leaving this chapter for the next chapter could mean steeping out of my comfort zone, I look forward to beginning my graduate career at the University of North Carolina with great enthusiasm. I am very excited by the fact that I have been admitted into UNC and that I will be living in Chapel Hill, NC for the next five years. The path towards my doctorate degree is going to be rather adventurous, despite possibly some hurdling obstacles I might face as I traverse the path. I am ready to take on challenges as a mathematics graduate student in the not-too-distant future. I anticipate meeting new people and making new friends. Furthermore, living in the Southeast region of the United States is certainly going to contribute to my diverse living experience.

At the same time, graduation is the moment when I bid farewell to my fellow friends whom I really treasure. After graduation, we shall depart from our lives in Ann Arbor and either join the workforce or further our education elsewhere. Nonetheless, I believe that the memories we share will forever be remembered as “those good old days.”

After a short brunch at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Mathematics, Eric Daniel (a first-year mathematics graduate student) gave me a ride to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) at half past noon. The drive to the airport was not long – it took only 15-20 minutes.

The campus visit to UNC was lovely, and Chapel Hill, NC (where UNC is situated) is as lovely as Ann Arbor. I shall describe more about the visit in a separate post. Let me vent my frustration by rambling first – considered yourself warned!

My flight was scheduled to leave at 14:15. It was not a direct flight to Detroit; instead, I had to transit at Cleveland, OH. I proceeded to the TSA security cleareance right away once I arrived at RDU, since I checked in online earlier in the hotel. I went through the usual security screening and headed to Gate 8. As I was approaching the designated gate, I heard an announcement containing my name. Yes, Mr. Eric Fu. I was like “What the heck?” I thought that would be the last time I would be paged in the airport. I got to the gate to see what was going on. Apparently the flight was overbooked and the airline needed 3 volunteers to surrender their current confirmed seats and to be placed in another flight. I inquired about the flight segment that I will be transfer to should I decide to volunteer. It was a Northwest flight at 16:21 with direct service to Detroit. Moreover, the arrival time was only 10 minutes later than that of my original itinerary. Furthermore, I will be upgraded to First Class and have a USD 250 Continental Airlines travel voucher. And of course, I will be provided with a USD 12 lunch voucher.

Sounds like a good deal, isn’t it? There will be no major change in terms of my arrival time and I do not have to do any rescheduling with my airport shuttle. So I said yes to the Continental representative at the gate. She issued me a passenger receipt for the 16:21 Northwest flight to Detroit. Then, I happily got myself a wondeful lunch (rotisserie chicken with mashed potato) at the terminal.

At about 15:45, I walked to Gate 6 (the Northwest gate) to make sure than I am checked in and that my Northwest WorldPerks membership number is properly keyed in the system. To my surprise, the Northwest representative told me that the flight was overbooked and there were no additional seats available for me. I started to regret volunteering. I thought I would be able to get back home on time! I will be having a French test on Monday and I plan to study all night after returning from RDU.

Worried, I immediately went back to look for a Continental representatives to seek help. They tried to put me on a Newark flight (which will then connect me to Detroit), but it was full too. We spent almost one hour checking out with other airlines – Delta, American Airlines, US Airways – you name it. Unfortunately it was getting late and there were not any flights to Detroit left. Unwillingly, I accepted a rescheduling to tomorrow morning – Northwest Airlines 1689 with direct service to Detroit. I was also checked in right away to avoid the same disaster tomorrow morning. It is a First Class ticket, an aisle seat in the first row, leaving at 9:00 and arriving at 11:00.

Or couse, Continental Airlines provided me accomodation at Wyndham Garden Hotel, and this is where I am blogging from now. Wyndham is a pretty decent hotel – with nice rooms and complementary Internet service (otherwise I will be killed by boredom)! I wish I had brought along my French textbook. Well, I guess I have to view this as an extra day free from work!

During winter break (December 2007 – January 2008), I was overwhelmed by the completing and submitting applications for my graduate education. I did not travel during Christmas – I spent most of my time reviewing my application forms online (and hosting Yun Xin too).

After having spoken to several professors and academic advisors, I narrowed down the list of schools to which I planned to apply. I had to make realistic aiming – applying to schools such as Harvard or MIT would definitely be a waste of money (application fees), even though the thought of getting admitted, albeit awfully slim, could be rather appealing.

1. University of Chicago at Chicago, ILLINOIS
2. Cornell University at Ithaca, NEW YORK
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NORTH CAROLINA
4. Rutgers at New Brunswick, NEW JERSEY
5. University of Utah at Salt Lake City, UTAH
6. University of Washington at Seattle, WASHINGTON

Thus far, I have one offer from UNC while Chicago, Cornell, and U of Washington rejected me. I am still waiting to hear back from Rutgers and U of Utah.

But as of now, my mind is pretty set on UNC. I shall keep you posted on my graduate enrollment!

I could not believe what I was seeing when I checked my email in the morning. I noticed an email titled “Offer” in my inbox.

I opened the email and started reading it in disbelief.

Dear Mr. Fu,

We are happy to inform you that you have been recommended for admission to our graduate program in mathematics at UNC Chapel Hill. This recommendation must be formally approved by the Graduate School, but we expect a positive response. I attach a copy of our offer letter, which we are sending by standard mail.

Shortly I will also send you an invitation to visit us during a Graduate Student Weekend, on March 28-30, to get to know us better. We will cover up to $400 of your travel expenses.

I hope to see you on campus in March and again in August. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. In particular, you may wish to speak to me or to one of my colleagues about our program.

Sincerely,
Warren Wogen
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Mathematics

I was utterly speechless!

An offer from the University of North Carolina! I was so euphoric that I almost cried. Finally, after waiting to hear back for almost 2 months, I felt relieved, ending my restless worries. At the same time, I was, and still am, overwhelmed with excitement and jubilation. There will not be uncertainties ahead of me anymore. I know that I will be able to pursue my graduate studies, and I can now abandon my plan B. For the past two weeks, the thought of being rejected by all universities I applied to and having to return to Malaysia to look for a job makes me tremble. I do not want to work in a cubicle, joining the workforce of the corporate world. I want an educator’s job in the university intellectual community, exploring mathematics and educating future generations.

This is the good news that I want to share with you. Unfortunately, I have a bad one, too.

A couple of hours after receiving the UNC email, Cornell sent me a rejection email. I was not particularly upset about this, mainly because I now have the UNC offer, and secondly Ithaca, New York (where Cornell University is located) is a so-so town to live in. Getting a doctorate degree takes 5 to 6 years in general – the location of the school should definitely be taken into consideration.

Dear Applicant:

I am sorry that we are unable to offer you admission to the mathematics Ph.D. program. The number of students who can be accepted is very limited this year, and the overall quality of applications is very high. It is not possible to offer admission to many of the excellent students who would like to study here.

Thank you for your interest in Cornell. We wish you success in continuing your mathematics education.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Stillman
Professor of Mathematics
Chairman, Graduate Admissions Committee

Overall, I am on cloud nine. With this delightful piece of news, I shall cross the Atlantic Ocean for the second time, this time with my mum, to the Eternal City and the capital of England. This is going to be an unforgettable spring break!

P/S: Sometimes I really wish that I have amazing skills pertaining to photography – photos that I take during traveling are unappealing at times.

Yesterday was an extremely productive day for me – I managed to get so much done.

First of all, I received my new I-20, a form issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, after attending the Reduced Course Load workshop on January 8. (For those uninitiated, I am taking only 2 courses, which are 7 credit hours in total, this term, and the minimum credit hours that an international student has to be enrolled in is 12 credit hours to maintain his or her legal status. Hence I need to go through a workshop conducted by the International Center in order to legally drop below 12 credit hours. Failure to comply may result in, up to and including, deportation from the United States.) Secondly, I filed my taxes with the IRS (Internal Service Revenue), a toilsome annual task that I need to deal with every year.

Moreover, I got a formal invitation letter from the Auditor’s Office. My mum applied for her US visa a couple of years ago, so technically I do not need this document to support my mum’s visa application. But it’s always better to play safe than be sorry. I am asking my mum to travel with this official letter and a formal invitation letter that I wrote, in addition to my official transcript. They might come in handy at the passport control when my mum enters the United States.

Also, I managed to complete a lot of coaching tasks. I prepared solutions for two homework sets in a goal. It’s a lot of writing and LaTeX-ing, so I was rather tired at the end of the preparation. I also wrote a detailed solution to a quiz that I administered today. I am very satisfied with the solutions that I prepared. Even the goldfish (aka Jin Ye) gave me a thumb up!

And I submitted my last graduate school application!

At the end of the day, I was so worn out that I started to feel lethargic. I moved around the Department of Mathematics listlessly. When I felt a headache, I knew that I needed to call it a day.

This was definitely not the highlight of the day, though. I went back home, canceled an appointment at Starbucks that I made with my French classmates, took two paracetamol pills, and went to bed at 9.30pm. I gave my body the rest it needed.

Upon request, I wrote a short letter describing University of Michigan to students in my alma mater. This letter was written on May 27, when I was spending my 6 weeks in Malaysia.

I wasn’t expecting much (i.e. my letter to be published in the school yearbook), so I have totally forgotten about this article until my mum mentioned about it on the phone last week as she flipped through the current yearbook.

Dear all,

I am writing in the capacity of a former Keat Hwa student to explain the American education system in general and elaborate on my college in particular. I took my SPM in 2002 and managed to secure a PSD (Public Service Department) scholarship.

I matriculated the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, MI in September 2004. I am currently majoring in Pure Mathematics and General Physics. I expect to graduate in April 2008. University of Michigan (sometimes more fondly known as U of M) is one of the prestigious public research universities in the United States. U of M is also noted for its athletic teams and medical centers.

There are more than 200 undergraduate majors offered by the university (See http://www.admissions.umich.edu/academics/areasofstudy.html for more info). These degrees are conferred through 11 schools: Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), Architecture and Urban Planning, Art and Design, Education, Engineering, Kinesiology, Music, Natural Resources and Environment, Nursing, and Pharmacy.

One of the hallmarks of US education is the general education (GE) element. All students, regardless of their majors, are required to take classes across academic departments, usually from the field of natural science, social science, humanities, and foreign languages, to fulfill the so-called “distribution requirement.” At U of M, GE is implemented with two extra criteria – the writing as well as race and ethnicity requirement. It is interesting to note that you are not forced to take a specific course when fulfilling your GE; instead, you may choose from legion of classes, running a gamut from anthropology to women studies.

You perhaps inferred from the GE element that American education system is rather holistic compared to that of British. US graduates must not only know their major well, but also topics not related to their concentration. Furthermore, your performance in a course is evaluated constantly. It is not the case where your final grade for a course depends heavily, if not solely, on your final examination. Take one of my math classes, for example. The grading policy is homework (10%), quizzes (10%), first midterm exam (20%), second midterm exam (20%), and final exam (40%). You need to work hard throughout the semester to ensure a good grade.

A general 4-year study plan sounds like this: You spend your first year doing GE and prerequisite courses for your major. On your second year, you start to enroll on intermediate courses which are less generic compared to introductory courses. Finally, you will focus on advanced and technical subjects during your last two years in college. In the US, there are jargons used to describe students according to their class standing. First-year students are called freshmen, while second-year students are referred as sophomores. Juniors and seniors are third-year and forth-year students respectively.

Ann Arbor is a lovely suburban near Detroit, Michigan. Ann Arborites are known for their friendliness. The moderate pace of the town makes it a conducive “university town.” The U of M campus at Ann Arbor is approximately 2.69 kilometer squared, and it is divided into North, Central, and South Campus. Downtown Ann Arbor is only 10-15 minutes walk from Central Campus. You can easily get (good) food or groceries without having to travel far.

I have more to share with you about this great university and the awesome town of Ann Arbor, but I understand that there is an editorial limitation in the length of this letter. So I encourage you to browse the university website should you have interest in getting into U of M. If your questions are not answered in the comprehensive website, please do not hesitate to contact me or other U of M students whose contact information I list below. We will try our best to help you.

* Eric Fu (ericchfu@umich.edu) Pure Mathematics & General Physics
* Melissa Lee (mmylee@umich.edu) Acturial Mathematics & Economics

It’s indeed an honor to be given the opportunity to write for my alma mater’s school magazine. I hope you will find these information useful. Finally, all the best and happy graduation, class of 2007!

Yours truly,

Eric Fu
1634 Murfin Ave Apt 8
Ann Arbor MI 48105-3130
United States
+1 (734) 239-5588
http://www.ericchfu.com/