Puzzling introduction
Aditya Rishi

It is easier to square the circle than to get round a mathematician. — Augustus De Morgan

IN spite of being told that you are not likely to forget this introduction for some weeks, you boldly decide to go ahead and meet this gentleman. You recognise a tiger from its pugmarks, but you can’t recognise a mathematician from his or her work, though we come across famous works of not so famous mathematicians more often than we see pugmarks of a tiger.

Through this column, you have met many unsung mathematicians, but not bothered to visit them again after the introduction is over. You won’t find their names in any textbook, but they dedicated their lives to work out formulas that you only have to read once to understand these days.

I request for silence because here comes our guest for today. He is a mathematician from the past, a ghost you may say, and you know that ghosts can be touchy about some subjects. Quick, here he comes, ask him anything, but remember his distaste for the usual casual introductions.

"Greetings, Sir, and a warm welcome to you, my lady. I am Augustus De Morgan, a mathematician, but I’m sure you know that already." "Not at all, Mr Augustus... De... How old are you Mr Augustus?" "The name is Augustus De Morgan, and I was x years old in the year x^2." See what you have done. I introduce you to a brilliant person and, like always, you let him go away. "We only asked him his age. What’s it, anyhow?"

On the art of problem solving, Ren`E9 Descartes (1596-1650) had once, said: "I thought the following four (rules) would be enough, provided that I made a firm and constant resolution not to fail even once in the observance of them. The first was never to accept anything as true if I had not evident knowledge of its being so; that is, carefully to avoid precipitancy and prejudice, and to embrace in my judgment only what presented itself to my mind so clearly and distinctly that I had no occasion to doubt it. The second, to divide each problem I examined into as many parts as was feasible, and as was requisite for its better solution. The third, to direct my thoughts in an orderly way; beginning with the simplest objects, those most apt to be known, and ascending little by little, in steps as it were, to the knowledge of the most complex; and establishing an order in thought even when the objects had no natural priority one to another. And the last, to make throughout such complete enumerations and such general surveys that I might be sure of leaving nothing out."

To find out his age, we’ll have to, first, find out everything about Morgan and the year of his birth. Look for him in the 19th century mathematicians. (Write at The Tribune or adityarishi99@yahoo.co.in751-1054043970=:24723—