From: Don Mayer
Reply-To: BCAMT PSA List
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 17:14:54 -0800 To: BCAMT PSA List
Subject: A Mathematical Valentine --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Given the occasion, I thought you might enjoy this.

A couple of days ago, I was using a 'teachable moment' to review the different sets of numbers with my PMa 12 class. At the end of the lesson, I told them about the ultimate Valentine's Day gift for a favourite math teacher. As it happens, the Bay has a promotional sale wherein, should you buy a minimum quantity of a certain men's fragrance, you receive the Ultimate Math Teacher Gift: a pair of red boxer shorts festooned with . . . what else . . . Greek letter "pi's" all over. On the waist band is written "A sign of intelligent life".

Expecting my students to pass the hat around the room to collect donations with which to buy me this little seasonal expression of their affection, you can imagine my surprise when one student dryly called out from the back of the room, "That's irrational!"

Go figure.