The highlight of my day was solving a simple partial differential equation problem, that I had set myself. It was a good day. I am not sure that I should admit this in public, but there you go, I have now. A lot of science and math is problem solving and scientists and mathematicians often get a lot of satisfaction both out of working out the solution, and getting the final solution. I know I do.

The problem in question is for my second-year mathematics course. Some of the students have almost finished all the problems so another one is needed. I am pretty sure that my solution is correct, if not then one of the students will find the error, I’m sure.