Hausdorff Institute of Mathematics: the beginning of our trimester

 

Summer 2024 was the summer of the Hausdorff Institute of Mathematics programme on formalized mathematics. The programme was a whole trimester 6th May til 9th August, but I was a bit late as Eric graduated from Law School in St Louis, MO and I didn't know when that was going to happen exactly. So I could only promised to leave the US in June and I arrived in Bonn as soon as I could, on the 2nd June.

I hope to produce several blog posts about the programme, but indeed I am starting late. The arrival in Bonn was not without problems. Thank goodness Davide Trotta was already there and he able to get my keys for me and be up until midnight or so, when I finally managed to arrive. By contrast, arriving at the Institute was easy and it's a very pleasant place.

My office was very much the first thing you see when entering the the building. I've posted the picture before, but here it goes again. It's nice to have an office of your own, with your name on the door. Very rare in industry these days: it's all open plan settings, so I've enjoyed it.

Shame the huge electronic "whiteboard" didn't work very well with Macs, and I didn't feel like harassing IT to get to work for me. I was very surprised that macs weren't considered the default option, but there you go.  Also shame I forgot to take pictures of the flat (that was nice and modern) and of the next door building (some sort of offices for the University of Bonn) that I mistook for my accommodation when I arrived. I'm glad I didn't persevere in trying to call the porter/superintendent as there wasn't one and I was on the wrong building, number 57 instead of the intended 59. I blame Grothendieck and the lateness of the hour. But of course the keys didn't work in the wrong building, but when I realized my mistake all was fine.