Bernoulli Numbers Solution Reached: After Three Centuries

"Iraq-born teen cracks maths puzzle"
Agence France-Presse via Yahoo! News (May 28, 2009)

"A 16-year-old Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden has cracked a maths puzzle that has stumped experts for more than 300 years, Swedish media reported on Thursday.

"In just four months, Mohamed Altoumaimi has found a formula to explain and simplify the so-called Bernoulli numbers, a sequence of calculations named after the 17th century Swiss mathematician Jacob Bernoulli, the Dagens Nyheter daily said.

"Altoumaimi, who came to Sweden six years ago, said teachers at his high school in Falun, central Sweden were not convinced about his work at first...."

But when they went through Mohamed Altoumaimi's notebooks, they found that his math checked out. He's been offered a place at Uppsala University. Mohamed - wisely, I think - decided to keep going with his school work. Which includes "summer classes in advanced mathematics and physics...."

A remarkable achievement: followed up by a demonstration of really good sense. I like reading success stories like that, now and again.

U.S. Troops Broker Peace Agreement - commentary on this news

Don't read this if your mind is made up. U.S. forces in Iraq helped set up a local peace agreement, as more Iraqis tire of al Qaeda.

Original Stars and Stripes article: 18 tribal, local leaders OK peace agreement in Diyala (July 27, 2007)

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The Reconciliation Continues (in Iraq)

Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders joining forces against al-Qaeda runs contrary to what many expect to hear about Iraq. This detailed blog gives an alternative to the evening-news version of conditions in Iraq: Not rosy, but not hopeless either. Good reading for those looking for balance.

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