John, Always good to hear from you. I'm sorry to ruin a good story, and I doubt if it'll make it into OEIS (but I send it to them, just in case) but the answer is probably pretty prosaic, and completely known only to the long-gone printers and binders of Academic Press in 1969. For 0 < n < 10, n+ appears on page 32n-43 n* ,, ,, 32n-35 except that 1+ doesn't appear page -11 = i (the flyleaf). Note that page -3 = ix. The pattern continues through 10 & 11, except that 10 appears only once, without star or plus. Incidentally, my copy was the complementary copy sent by Mordell to Davenport, which I obtained at DPMMS in Cambridge because Davenport had recently departed. I used to tease Mordell, because, when I was in Haifa in 1970, a suitcase was stolen from our Volkswagen van during a period of bombings. The suspicious suitcase was found in some bushes by the bomb squad. The only thing missing was a silk shirt that Louise had made for me. Mordell's book was still there, obviously of little value. Best to all, R. On Wed, 22 Aug 2007, jdb@math.arizona.edu wrote:
Dear Richard, I wonder if you know about the mysterious markings at the bottom of certain pages of Mordell's Diophantine Equations book. If one (or more) looks (look) on pages 29, 53, 61, 85, 93, 117, etc.., one (etc.) sees mysterious numbers like 5^+ or 3^* and one (etc.) wonders what in the damn hell they mean, i.e., some of us.
Since they increase as the book proceeds, it may be realted somehow to printing. Andrew Bremner thinks they may be a rock climbing code, but is unwilling to die for this idea. To be sure, Mordell was a rock climber.
Do you know right of if this was a mysterious message to readers in the know?
Best, John
Richard Guy <rkg@cpsc.ucalgary.ca> wrote:
John, Always good to hear from you. I'm sorry to ruin a good story, and I doubt if it'll make it into OEIS (but I send it to them, just in case) but the answer is probably pretty prosaic, and completely known only to the long-gone printers and binders of Academic Press in 1969.
For 0 < n < 10, n+ appears on page 32n-43 n* ,, ,, 32n-35
except that 1+ doesn't appear page -11 = i (the flyleaf). Note that page -3 = ix. The pattern continues through 10 & 11, except that 10 appears only once, without star or plus.
Incidentally, my copy was the complementary copy sent by Mordell to Davenport, which I obtained at DPMMS in Cambridge because Davenport had recently departed. I used to tease Mordell, because, when I was in Haifa in 1970, a suitcase was stolen from our Volkswagen van during a period of bombings. The suspicious suitcase was found in some bushes by the bomb squad. The only thing missing was a silk shirt that Louise had made for me. Mordell's book was still there, obviously of little value.
Best to all, R.
On Wed, 22 Aug 2007, jdb@math.arizona.edu wrote:
Dear Richard, I wonder if you know about the mysterious markings at the bottom of certain pages of Mordell's Diophantine Equations book. If one (or more) looks (look) on pages 29, 53, 61, 85, 93, 117, etc.., one (etc.) sees mysterious numbers like 5^+ or 3^* and one (etc.) wonders what in the damn hell they mean, i.e., some of us.
Since they increase as the book proceeds, it may be realted somehow to printing. Andrew Bremner thinks they may be a rock climbing code, but is unwilling to die for this idea. To be sure, Mordell was a rock climber.
Do you know right of if this was a mysterious message to readers in the know?
Best, John
Dear Richard, Lovely story about Mordell. I have often tried to use the name "Haifa" in a pun (as in "punishment"): "I live in Israel, a Haifa nation". But it doesn't work very well unless one is hard up to be badly amusing. I was afraid the book curiosae were proaaic... the name of a potent drug that turns one into a Republican. What would be the equivalent in Canada? Talking about stories, I traveled across Canada on "The Canadian" train with Tom Struck. Four days from Vancouver to Toronto...very pleasant. One day Tom and I were in the dining car at lunch. Seated across from us was a young married couple from Quebec. He spoke tolerable English, but she very little. After looking over the menu he asked the waitress what the soup "bean medley" was. She was from Vancouver and had French as a second language. She looked puzzled about how to turn "medley" into French. As the waiter, who was from Quebec, passed behind her she turned and asked him what the soup of the day was in French was? As he hurried by and said "Soup du jour". Everyone laughed, including she, and she gave up. Thanks for the answer Oh Wise One. Is a wise man from Alabama a "wise-craker"? Best, John
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Richard Guy