The Geometric Disposition of Diophantine Equations

Abstract

In 2005, writer David Foster Wallace delivered a remarkable commencement speech at Kenyon College. He began by begrudgingly offering "a standard requirement of US commencement speeches," the parable-ish story:There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning, boys. How's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?"