Life is wasted on the living

In a feat of improbable organization surpassed only by my still having notes from the classes I took from László Babai (Discrete Math, Algorithms & Combinatorics—I may have learned more in these two classes than in any other I took as an undergrad—now I can't tell if a mere three years after I took the former it's gotten significantly harder or I've forgotten not just how to do some classes of problems, and the meanings of some terms, but also that I ever knew them—a mixture of both, probably), I still have the syllabus from a class I didn't take, as well as some handouts from the first meeting: The Philosophy of Wilfrid Sellars, taught by Jim Conant and Michael Kremer.  It is one thorough syllabus, and one of the handouts is also a doozy.

Now, of course, I consider this an incredible missed opportunity, but at the time I wasn't able to summon up much excitement.  Hélas.

Comments

[bitchphd]

On the other hand, you haven't wasted the name-dropping opportunity, so.

[ben wolfson]

It's hardly name-dropping to mention that one did, or didn't, take a class with someone known to teach at the university one attended.

[bitchphd]

Sure it is.

[Otto von Bisquick]

What year(s) did you take Discrete Math and Algorithms from Babai? I did DM Fall of 01 and Algo Winter of 02, IIRC. I've also remarked in the past that I learned more from those classes than any others at U of C.

(Checking out other blogs today with Unfogged being down and all, hence going back to old posts.)

[ben wolfson]

I think I was in those same classes, actually.