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Math, My Son, and the AI

  Date: May 14, 2025   Tonight was an experiment. I set out to teach my son some advanced number theory, a topic crucial for his upcoming IOQM exam – a beast of a competition, preliminary to the Olympiads. The catch? I don't know the solution to the specific problem I wanted him to tackle. My plan was to use AI, not as an answer key, but as a guide, a step-by-step problem-solving companion. I figured this way, he'd learn the process , the how to think, rather than just memorizing a solution. The idea felt innovative. I envisioned the AI laying out a logical path, and I would be there, facilitating, prompting him to think through each step. A collaborative exploration of a difficult problem. But the reality? It wasn't smooth. It felt... disjointed. The AI would present a piece of the solution, and I'd relay it, trying to turn it into a question for him. "Okay, the AI says consider this property... what do you think that means here?" My role felt less lik...
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The Pulse and Pause: Life at a Bangalore Bus Stop

Ah, today my mind fixed upon a common junction, a place of passage and pause in the bustling city of Bangalore. It is not the grand terminal itself, but a subsidiary point, nestled just behind the main edifice at Shanthinagara, hard by a signal's ever-changing command. Here, the air vibrates with the city's ceaseless energy, yet the small structures offer a momentary respite. Two shelters stand side-by-side, simple affairs crafted mainly of metal, grey in their aspect, bearing the marks of time and countless hands and backs. The paint is weary, not clean, speaking of exposure to dust and rain. They possess robust roofs, providing a necessary shade from the overhead sun, yet they are open to the air on all sides, lacking walls save for their supporting frames. Beneath one's feet, the ground is clad in tiles, a practical surface though one might wonder at the unseen life that thrives in the grout and cracks. Above, a large hoarding stands sentinel, displaying its ephemeral me...
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