> pls share a memorable quote (or joke) related to math...
"It's not obvious." -- John Horton Conway
(Or perhaps "It isn't obvious." My memory is imperfect, and I've
been unable to locate the source -- it must have been among Martin
Gardner's writings; perhaps someone else will come up with the
accurate quote and the correct context. Anyhow, the imperfectly-
recalled scenario went somewhat like this: Gardner was speaking to
Conway at a party or something, and told him of a construction or
puzzle someone else had come up with -- something to do with a
generalization of N-ominoes, possibly. Gardner mentioned that the
originator was still struggling with a question concerning the
three-dimensional analogs of his construction -- maybe "Can they
tile three-space?" -- and Conway immediately said "Well, it's
obvious that..." and broke off. He maintained silence for some
macroscopic time span during which Gardner wondered what magical
realms of higher thought Conway might be exploring, then finally
remarked "It's not obvious" and walked away.)
(If you're the first to run down the original story, I will donate
one thousand electrons to the charity of your choosing.)