You may have noticed, my name is Jaap Spies *). Born in 1944, I am now in my early sixties. Retired in an early retirement program of the 'Hogeschool Drenthe' (University Drenthe), now Stenden University. I can do almost as much as I please. I have two beautiful granddaughters of age 8 and 6 (in 2006). And of August 2006 there is my third granddaughter. On the 9th of July 2008 my fourth granddaughter was born. Lovely to see them growing up. I could have mentioned them under my 'Hobbies'.
Starting in 2002, maybe earlier, I had some health troubles. My doctors (among others my youngest son, who was the first to think in the right direction) found after a year with all kind of tests and examinations, that I was suffering of late Lyme's disease. Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in my left leg, neuroborreliosis and some other minor problems. I feel better now.
Having a Masters Degree in 'Mathematics and the Foundation of Mathematics' I could have called myself mathematician. I did not, until lately. In a discussion in the newsgroup sci.math I found a definition: "A person is a mathematician if he is called so by an other mathematician". Thank you Hans en Robbert! I was a teacher in Math and Computer Science in various settings.
For a couple of years now, I am enjoying solving problems, for instance from the 'Nieuw Archief van de Wiskunde' (NAW), a Dutch Math journal.
*) 'Jaap' is pronounced (in Dutch) as 'ya' from 'yard' followed by a 'p' from'cap' (phonetic: ja.p).'Spies' sounds like an 's' followed by the word 'peace' (spi:s).Nothing with spying, one spy, two spies. Jaap translates in James or Jack, coming from Jacob.
Soon to come.
Join me at the 100k Party at the OEIS!
