quote of the day

*after i spent an hour showing my advisor what i proved this weekend*

dr. z. (my ph.d. advisor): "wow lara! this is beautiful! i'd be happy about math for a year if i were you! this is even more beautiful of a proof than i expected, and now that i've seen your maple program and your explanation, i believe in it 200%! i'll be happy when you get done with orals so they're not there to distract you from continuing to make beautiful results. don't even study too hard... even if the rest of the committee doesn't want to pass you, i'll twist their arms and bribe them just based on this result, so you will pass for sure. of course it would be nicer if you passed because you know the stuff, not because i pay them. yes... this proof is absolutely beautiful. you have made my week! what a wonderful mathematical christmas present for our last meeting of the semester. this is really beautiful!"

of course he wouldn't *actually* bribe the other professors to pass me, but it's exciting to hear him be so positive about my work... yeah, i'm in a good math mood this week. :)

now to write up my combo "final" by tomorrow (i have all the problems solved, just haven't been motivated to write them up), and study for this darn oral exam all throughout my christmas break.... but even if those two tasks are much more boring than research.... my advisor thinks i'm clever, and *that* is a wonderful feeling. :)