Captain Carib was strolling through the Botanical Gardens when he
spied Emperor Abubakari II deep in thought, leaning on a prickleberry
tree.  ``Oh Captain," said the king, smiling when he saw his old friend
(having forgotten that he had sentenced Carib to death the evening
before), ``I have discovered a Completely Logical Statement that is
neither true nor false, and yet is both true AND false."

        Carib frowned.  ``Perhaps you made a mistake in your calculations,
my lord?  Forgot to carry the 2 perhaps?"

        The emperor grinned like an ibsenfish (which, if you have ever
seen an ibsenfish grin, is not something emperors ought to do).  ``Not at
all," he said.  ``I have invented a new sort of Algebra that has
nothing whatever to do with numbers.  It is called the Theory of Ordered
Sets..."

        An introduction to the theory of equations and the theory of
ordered sets, suitable for undergraduates; with open questions concerning
the fixed point property.


Dr. Farley is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Vanderbilt University. He is giving other talks this week in Truman, of particular interest is: What You Need to Know to Get Your Ph.D. - 2.30pm on Thursday at the Multicultural Affairs Center.