This series of books owes its merits primarily to the authors whose contributions are included and to the original publishers; I thank them first, for cooperating in the republication in this form.
For the fourth consecutive year, Gerald Alexanderson and Fernando Gouvêa read a wider collection of articles than we present here; their opinionated, witty, learned, and at times sharply opposite comments on the texts I advanced helped me select the list I chose for the book. Yet the entire responsibility for the shortcomings you might find is mine. In the advanced stages of deciding on the final content, I also benefited, once again, from consulting with Vickie Kearn of the Princeton University Press. Quinn Fusting resolved the copyright matters; Paula Bérard copyedited the manuscript, and Nathan Carr prepared it for production. Thank you to all.
Thanks to Paul Zorn for expressing a very public appreciation of this series.
The excellent staff and services at Cornell University Library are indispensable to my work. Thank you.
After a disastrous stab at graduate studies at another university (a ruinous experience in indoctrination that overturned my optimistic preconceptions about academic inquiry and introduced me to the strangely alluring whiff of dogmatism that percolates in academic circles oblivious to evidence), after a stint as full-time stay-at-home dad (a thrilling experience that was turned against my child and me with ferocity in a family court and its acolyte offices), and after surviving unusual circumstances, I was fortunate to benefit from an excellent medium for thought and research at Cornell University. This stability not only allowed me to teach a diverse assortment of classes and to read widely across disciplines but also to be close to my daughter. I owe benevolence and understanding to many people, starting with my committee members: David W. Henderson, Anil Nerode, John W. Sipple, and Steven Strogatz whose patience I tested dearly. Once again this year, Maria Terrell assigned me an adequate teaching load, for which I am grateful. In addition, thanks to Dan Barbasch, Mary Ann Huntley, Severin Drix, Michelle Klinger, Heather Peterson, William Gilligan, and Catherine Penner for offering me to teach again for the Cornell Mathematics Outreach Programs, Cornell Summer School, and Cornell Adult University; I enjoy all of these opportunities, hopefully to the benefit of my students.
The writing seminar on mathematical topics, which I taught over the past several fall semesters, played an important role in clarifying my goals for editing this series. I designed a course unique in content, dynamic, and expectations—and I feel rewarded by the discussions and by the student reactions occasioned by it. For the chance to teach the seminar again, thanks to Katherine Gottschalk, Paul Sawyer, David Faulkner, and Bruce Roebal of Cornell University’s Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines.
This brings me to express my gratitude to the late William Thurston. I am privileged to have been among the people touched by his generosity. He was the first guest to a class meeting in my seminar and kindly agreed to come once every semester, even after he fell gravely ill. Each time, especially the last time, he conveyed the overwhelming impression that mathematical thinking can never be laid out in full; that behind the conventions captured by precise definitions, and beyond the apparent clarity of mathematical reasoning, there are endless layers still to explore; and that a mathematician thrives in the community of like-minded people, only to become different from all of them. Three years ago, despite his numerous commitments, Professor Thurston graciously accepted to write the foreword for the opening volume in this series. Now that he is no longer with us, I dedicate this volume to his memory.
Thanks to Fangfang for caring, from near and from afar.
Finally, yet most importantly, thanks to my daughter Ioana for her blissful cheerfulness. Indoors and outdoors, at home, in libraries, and during our travels, she has often seen me shuffling and reading the articles, books, and notes that led to this volume.