Hump Day in Budapest!

Hey its Jenna and Becca here for Round 2 of the blog!

We hopped back into the swing of things on Wednesday after having a daycation to Pecs on Tuesday. It was definitely nice to relax after our long sessions of math on Monday, but we were ready to dive back into the number theory Wednesday morning.  With a slight drizzle we proceeded to learn about a new function Φ, which in the words of Professor Hanson, “Φ is very important to number theory, but not so much in real life.” We spent the majority of class proving the Φ is a multiplicative function before we were dismissed for lunch, in order to fuel up for our guest speaker of the day.

For our afternoon session, Andras Nagy, who lectured on Hungarian politics, joined us. Nagy excels in many different subjects. He is a theatre professor, studies Kierkegaard, and is very knowledgeable in Hungarian history. We spent the majority of his lecture talking about how who invaded and ruled Hungary through out the years. It started with the Mongols, moved on to the Turks, eventually the Austrians moved in, which lead us to the 1919 Communist revolt. Because of this revolt, Hungary lost two-thirds of its land. Before WWII Hitler gave back some of this land to Hungary, so Hungary was willing to be on Nazi’s Germany’s side. It was a tough decision for Hungary because they chose to fight communism, which they believed was bad, but this meant they were fighting with the Nazi’s , which was also a bad choice. So basically a lose/lose.  When WWII was dissolved Hungary had peace for about 3 years. In 1948 the Soviets took over Hungary and this lasted until Hungarian revolution in 1956. The revolution was crushed by the Soviets and the Hungarians lived under communism until 1989. Nagy was an excellent guest speaker, and after his talk most of us retired to the hotel and worked on homework.

Christian, Michael, John, Nick R, Natalie, Rachel, Jordan, Jess, Becca, and I, Jenna, ended the night at a really cool restaurant called Rokfort, where we had our share of some traditional Hungarian dishes. Nothing beyond exciting happened Wednesday, but we’ve had our fair share of interesting run-ins with locals since we’ve been here.

I, Becca, have personally had two interesting encounters.  Our first Saturday, we were on the tram headed to dinner and I decided to sit down next to a stranger.  He turned to me and began speaking to me in Hungarian.  Not knowing what he said, I replied with, “Nem beszelek magyarul,” which means I don’t speak Hungarian.  He then asked me if I spoke English so I said yes.  He struggled through his words so he asked another random man on the tram to translate for him.  He then proceeded to tell me I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and that he loved me for my red hair.  He then sang me a love song all while inebriated on the tram.  It was an enlightening experience. 

The same night, Michael had a run in with a local at a dance club we were at.  While a group of us Americans were dancing together, a local man approached Michael and told him we didn’t look like we were from around here.  Michael promptly and proudly told him we were from Canada.

Rachel’s encounter was probably the most hilarious.  We were waiting for a subway in Vienna when a man, clearly under the influence, approached our group and asked Rachel to come stand next to him.  Rachel’s mom taught her not to talk to strangers, so Rachel refused.  He then turned to another member of our group and asked him if his eyes looked like Rachel’s.  We all laughed and he got on the same subway as us.  He then showed Luke pictures of his kids and we went our separate ways at the next stop.

Our final strange run-in occurred today when I sat down next to another stranger on the subway.  He began speaking to me in Hungarian again and I told him I didn’t understand.  He asked me if I spoke English and I said yes to which he responded that he hated English and told me I need to learn Russian because it is the most beautiful language in the world.  “It’s like a melody.”  I smiled and laughed.  He then continued his rant on how English is the worst language, but he told me how much he loved Obama and asked me my feelings on him.  I was then beckoned to get off the subway and said goodbye to my new friend.

All in all our adventures have been full of wonderful, interesting experiences and people.   Needless to say, we’ve definitely been immersed in the culture.

Tuesday in Pécs (Southern Hungary)

Today we went to Pecs. It’s a great trip. I got up at 6:20 am. It’s my first time to get up at 6:20am in Budapest so I felt great. Then we went to the train station and got to the train. Everyone took a nap and after a while (3 hours) we arrived in Pecs. I love this city. we visited a church, a cathedral and an art museum. I really like the art museum. It showed us the paintings by famous artist Csontváry. I’ve never heard him before but I can still tell he was an great artist. His paintings are really difficult for me to understand but I’m pretty sure  these works are valuable. I ordered roast lamb and beef soup for my lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch I went to McDonalds to do my math homework. It was great to do math in Pecs. Then we went back. It’s a great day! 

After visiting the museum of Csontváry, the class was allowed to split up and go explore the city as we pleased. Some went to a small mall, while others kept exploring the city. One group wanted to get a better view of the city and so they set off to the large hills that lined the city. From the top you could see everything! It was truly spectacular. Parts of the path up this very steep hill did not have railings and so it was quite scary ascending to the top, but it was well worth it. Once the class met back up, we boarded our train and set off back to Budapest. Many slept, some did their math homework, and some played cards. Regardless, everyone was exhausted once we got back! It had been a long day filled with many new sights and experiences. It was great to spend the day outside of the classroom! Until next time!

-Jedediah and Evan

Monday Funday

Szia!

Apologies for the slight delay in the past few blog posts --- I guess you could say we are simply too engrossed in proving the fundamentals of number theory in Budapest.

Anyways, Monday's schedule consisted of two sessions of math lectures, so the day was filled with proofs and worksheet exercises. Although it was a challenge to stay focused on math for almost 3-4 hours, we definitely learned a lot about some major theorems in number theory. For instance, one big theorem we tackled was Wilson's Theorem, which you can learn about using the following link:

Wilson's Theorem


For lunch, a number of us returned to a gyro shop that we have been frequenting. The gyros are extremely inexpensive, but more importantly, muy bueno. The gyros here are unlike those we are used to in the States, in that in addition to containing tsatsiki sauce, they also include something the gyro vendors call "spicy." This sauce, which isn't actually all that spicy, gives gyros that extra zing that just makes you need to say "muy bueno."

As we mentioned in our previous blog post, spontaneous choices have always led to good memories. For instance, Monday night we decided to turn left at the major street by our hotel, a direction most of us have not really explored. Shortly after we began to explore the uncharted territory, we happened upon a pizza joint with good food and an even more impressive atmosphere. Creepy antique porcelain dolls stared down on us from shelves as we stomached pulchritudinous personal pizzas. Yes pleeeeeeeazzzze.

On an unrelated note, here is a picture of Evan being a master of multitasking:

Yes, that's Evan playing chess while using his phone and maintaining a conversation

Trip to Wien

The weekend in Vienna was a much needed trip where I think most of us felt more welcome, yet less at home, which I will expand on later. English was much more widespread and the streets felt much more like the big cities we are more accustomed to. We were blessed with the leadership and organizational skills of Nick Nooney who took the reigns on planning our train rides and hostel stay. He found a fantastic hostel right near a handy transportation stop (the U1 subway line) and although it took us a while to find it the first night, we wouldn't forget it for the rest of the trip, no doubt. The group split into a few groups, two boy and one girl groups to stay in the rooms (6 boys in one, 8 girls in another, and five boys in the third room). Our days were mostly cloudy with a chance of Wiener Schnitzel (a popular local dish). We enjoyed exploring the city, including sights like St. Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of the city, and mansions like the Schonbrunn Palace towards the outer parts of the city (see pictures for both below).

We have come to accept and love our home for the month at the Professor's Guest House which seems to have more elevator and internet problems than it does residents. Spending a weekend in Vienna brought many of us some relief since for a few of us, it was fun to "sprechen some deutsch" and for others it was nice to usually find someone who spoke more than your Budapest average of English! And no, Natalie and Jess, we can't leave out the few French speakers. They had their fun conversations too. The streets were cleaner and brighter, but it just wasn't the same as Budapest. Travel was a bit more difficult and mush less familiar, but we managed to get around just fine. The hostel was wonderful and accommodating, but didn't feel quite like home like the Guest House does now.

From a dining standpoint, I think we are all glad to be back in Budapest as well. With about a $10 meal average in Budapest and a $20 meal average in Vienna, we are all excited to get a little more bang for our buck. This week includes a class trip to historic Pecs, Budapest and a few visits from guest professors regarding Hungarian politics, culture, and music to name a few. It is also rumored that we will have our first guest math speaker of the trip, so that's getting us all a bit anxious, but excited. We are still enjoying our time in the city and we hope to take advantage of the rest of our stay! 

Christian, Jiahao

Doing it Live in Vienna

The group of 19 congregated at the Keleti train station to begin our adventure to Vienna, Austria. Little did we know that three hour ride would consist of some of the greatest magic the world has ever seen. After a number of absolutely brilliant card tricks, we were all convinced the one and only Michael Schroeder should have his own Las Vegas show. With all the magic keeping us busy, it didn't seem long before we had arrived in Vienna. Once we reached Vienna we all bought public transportation passes and were off in search of a restaurant and our hostel. Since we just bought public transportation passes, we decided to walk the forty miles to our hostel. Considering we just took a big test that day it was good to bring our physical stress in equilibrium with our mental anguish. Eventually we got settled in our hostel and then explored Viennese nightlife a little before going to sleep.

On Saturday morning, the group split up to experience Vienna how they chose to. Micheal and I joined the group that eventually made it to the Art History Museum. Along the way we stopped to have breakfast at a cafe adjacent to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Since it was free to go in, we took a detour through the massive interior of the church. Despite the frigid temperature inside, we were still able to admire the enormous support pillars and intricately decorated walls and windows.

At the Art History Museum, we traversed the ages by beginning with the Ancient Egyptian exhibit and continuing on the the Ancient Greeks. The static sculptures of the Egyptians pharaohs and sphinxes  were interestingly juxtaposed with the more action filled depictions of Greek mythology. I believe most of us were impressed at the fine detail these artists were able to accomplish when working with stone, ivory, or wood. There were also extensive exhibits with paintings; huge rooms that were completely covered with enormous pieces of art. I believe one person was surprised the walls could support that much weight. Some favorites were The Tower of Babel and The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Winter and Summer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

After the museum, we had lunch and made out way to Mozart's House. I found it quite exciting to be in the room where one of the greatest composers lived and worked in. Interestingly, I learned that Mozart had a gambling problem and died at a very young age. The audio guide explained that he may have been poisoned by one of his rivals! This fascinating subject could not keep Michael awake, unfortunately, and we had to carry him back to the hostel. Once there, we tossed Michael on the floor and all took a quick nap before dinner at Kuckuck. Most of us tried the Wiener Schnitzel, one of the dishes Austria is well known for. After a great meal, we navigated the subway system back to the hostel, getting off at Keplerplatz. Nick Rekuski and Jordan were pretty excited about that name.

Szia,
Michael and Jordan

A Whole New World

Today was a day just like any other, except in the hearts of our group, because today was exam day. The sun was shining and birds were singing, probably, but our heads were buried so far into our notes for a last minute study session that we hardly noticed. We took the tram and the metro to class as usual, reciting theorems in our heads, reminding ourselves that every number is a product of primes and that no, 1 is not a prime, keep that straight keep that straight keep that straight. Upon arrival, the classroom was a frenzy of flashcards and loose pages of notes, but soon Professor Hanson opened the door, exams in hand, bringing with him the calm before the storm. Calculators came out, pencils were lined up, water bottles were at the ready, and just like that it was go time.

The test itself was a blur, but one by one our classmates emerged from the classroom, pledges signed, belongings packed, and heads held high(ish). We ascended the stairs to Professor Hanson's office to hand over our precious proofs and received a 5000 forint per diem in return. As one optimistic student pointed out, it was like being paid to take a test! Not half bad, really.

Now, with our exam conquered, we look to the future. With money in hand, we venture forth to new and uncharted territory, also known as Vienna. Beginning at 3 pm, we will board a train for a 3 hour journey west, entering a new country, experiencing a new language (German) and, hopefully, quickly locating a source of our new currency, the euro. Essentially, we're off to a whole new world! Our group of 19 brave adventurers will be occupying three rooms in the same hostel, which will become our base of operations as we explore our new and unfamiliar surroundings, cameras in one hand and euros clutched tightly in the other. Should wifi be available at our destination (supposedly there is, but as we all know, nothing in life is guaranteed) we will update this entry with details (and pictures, ooh!) of our first night in Austria.

Not quite our method of travel, but close!

But truly, the question on everyone's mind: just how will Professor Hanson spend his weekend? If anyone spots a bat signal in the sky, you know where to find him!

Keep your eyes peeled!

Bis später! (See you later!)
Sara and Elizabeth

Dr. Thursday: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Math

Today was a generally pretty quiet day.  We had class in the morning as usual—Nick Rekuski noticed a dearth of mechanical pencils in his backpack whilst Michael acquired a .35mm mechanical pencil, which was the product of fine German workmanship—and in the afternoon we went to the national museum; however, since a large part of our class is going to Vienna this weekend, we first stopped at the train station and picked up tickets.

Once we got to the train station, Bruce Hanson The Great and Wonderful found the ticket office in less than 15 minutes.  After finding the international ticket office, we didn’t sojourn towards anything because we will be sojourning tomorrow after our exam, to be continued…

We met a very helpful English speaking woman who sold us our tickets.  After getting our tickets, which look very cool by the way, we proceeded towards the museum, along the familiar route that we take to and from class each day.

Once we walked 50m from the tram to the museum, Bruce told us in a stern voice to wait here while he gets the tickets.  After what seemed like an endless amount of time, The Honorable Professor Dr. Hanson came with the tickets we needed but didn’t deserve. He stood at the stairs, booming over us, reminding us of Rocky Balboa, not Rocky the flying squirrel.

So we entered the building and went to the basement where another lady helpfully showed us where to put our backpacks, which we didn’t want to carry all around the museum and also so we wouldn’t knock over anything, which was a win-win for everyone.

In the museum, we saw our favorite Hungarians Egérhazy, Széchenyi, Gábor, Lajos, and Kossuth.  However, we did not spend too much time in the museum, since we had a mandated, cumbersome, soul-crushing, decimating, apocalyptic exam tomorrow.  With an ideal study time of thirty-seven hours and only 14.25666 repeating of course hours left, we needed to use time travel to study long enough.  Since we didn’t have that, we studied numbers and primes and GCDs and other topics for as long as we could to endure the test that is our midterm tomorrow.

Not too much else exciting happened today.  Joe went missing for 5 minutes, Nick R found hummus, and Nick N had another Langós.

(Excluding this message, the title and post has 401 words, which may or may not be a prime number by Fermat’s Primality Test.  We leave it for the reader to show.)