User:DeaconJohn

Hello, my name is John Aiken. Just stumbled across ProofWiki while searching the web for material on "Zorn's Lemma" last month (February, 2021). Am really impressed with the high quality of the ProofWiki pages. Hope to become a member of the ProofWiki team. Just a real "newbie" right now.

Never quite understood the relation between the Axiom of Choice and Zorn's Lemma. The Axiom of Choice seems intuitively clear (at least to me), while Zorn's Lemma seems very mysterious. Being retired, I now have the time to look into the matter more deeply.

When an undergraduate, Halmos' proof of Zorn's lemma was way over-my-head. Am currently preparing footnotes to integrate into "Proof 1" of Zorn's Lemma. Notes that I wish I had when I was an undergraduate.

Here is a shortened version of my "Curriculum Vita."

PhD in mathematical physics (von Neumann Algebras) from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La, in 1972. About half a dozen publications in professional mathematics, quantum chemistry, and computer science journals and conference papers. Spent my career working as an applied mathematician in electrical engineering, computer science, and other fields. Finally ended up at MITRE - "M.I.T. Research Engineering," a government consulting firm that spun out of M.I.T. in the 1950's.

Am 74 years old. Happily married for the last 54 years. Have 4 children and 14 grandchildren - 24 people in my branch of the Aiken clan. Currently living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.

John,    last edit: March 2021