Istvan’s (Steve’s office)

The Eotvos Lorand University Mathematics Department Chair, Odon Vancso, has given me a key to share an office with a retired, but still teaching mathematics professor Lenart Istvan. They say the last name first here, and then the first name. I knew that I was going to be okay when Istvan stopped what he was doing with a student, and greeted me with kindness.  He shook my hand, and showed me how to use the phone and the lights and gave me a space in the office that is larger than any office I have ever had except as dept. Chair. The poster in the office was the clincher for comfort though. You may have seen this quote before, but this is a full sized poster that reinforces what I have been saying these past weeks about struggle and mathematics. We are all mathematical. We can all do mathematics.  Remember, Einstein was a genius, and he struggled with mathematics as the poster says.  Let’s keep working on making it okay to struggle in mathematics. According to Einstein, hard work, with struggle is okay.IMG_8340

One thought on “Istvan’s (Steve’s office)

  1. I remember the day that you explained to me your research topic. You quoted that some quote about Albert Einstein. So, when you walked into Odon Vancso’s office and saw that poster on his door, I am pretty sure you immediately started to smile. This is a good sign that being in Budapest is going to be a positive experience for you.

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