Who is Alice, and why do her coins give multiples of everything?
INT. CLASSROOM SOMEWHERE IN NUS — LATE AFTERNOON Close-up of an open copy of Bott-Tu on the desk, atop pages of largely illegible scratchwork. Slow zoom out and pan up to a duo in front of the whiteboard. In the far corner of the frame, a third becomes visible, seated, lightly patting one's own tummy. "Let's write an IMO problem," said one. "Sure," said the other. "Get back to real math," said the third. But it was too late: the juices of creativity and mathematical delusion had begun flowing, unyielding to all forces of nature (except perhaps dinnertime). "Let's start with a grid of numbers." A grid was drawn on the board, but no numbers were written. Indeed, it was because they did not yet know what numbers belonged in the grid. "Integers? Rationals? Real numbers?" "Maybe some number theory thing... let's stick with integers first." "Okay." The grid remained empty, like an empty stomach. "Ho...
