The Mathie Humour Page

Back in 1994-1996, I spent a lot of time with friends in the Comfy Lounge in the Math Building at the University of Waterloo. While there, we realized that Mathie Humour was quite distinct from other kinds of humour.

Mathie humour was identified as the sense of humour shared by those in the process of attaining a degree in Mathematics. People who are working on degrees in Science or Applied Science, even if their department is Mathematics, may not share the same sense of humour. People who have achieved their degrees and are no longer students may not share the same sense of humour, probably because they are no longer subject to courses with wierd profs, late night assignment-work and cramming, and don't waste as much time playing card or board games with other students.

Mathie humour can be sub-categorized into three broad categories:

Thanks to Eric Lippert, Peter Milley and Craig Kaplan, the original inspirations for this web page.

Null-Set Humour

The quintessential Null-Set Joke

This one happens to be self-referential meta-humour about the null set, but I categorize it here because somebody gave Eric the challenge: "Tell me one funny null-set joke".

Eric thought a bit, put down his spicy mint lemonade and said "Every null-set joke I have told tonight has been funny." Of course, Eric had not made any null-set jokes yet that night.

So is it funny? And if not, is it paradoxical? I'll leave it to you to decide.

Meta-Humour

"If it's funny once, it's funny every time."

- Eric Lippert

Self-referential Humour

"Counter-factuals: What would the world be like without them?"

- Craig Kaplan

'If "if it's funny once it's funny every time" is funny once, it's funny every time.'

- Eric Lippert & Craig Kaplan

Email me at lisa@ofb.net with comments, additions.

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