Sobolev spaces

This photo was taken in the former office of Sandy Davie, a recently retired professor at the University of Edinburgh. The writing on the board is the result of conversations with another professor, Istvan Gyongy, about partial differential equations in Sobolev spaces. It’s a great example of a typical mathematician’s blackboard, with chalk being drawn over old chalk  and some evidence of half-hearted rubbing out with hands. Mathematicians usually prefer to make this kind of a ‘mess’ rather than interrupt the flow of ideas to clean the board properly.

 

 

January 5, 2012 | Categories: Analysis, Differential equations | Leave A Comment »

Blackboards (though an occasional white board seems to have been allowed in), alive and kicking!