Karl Dilcher

Some personal notes
and favourite links

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Born in 1954 in Harle (now Wabern-Harle), Germany. I lived there until 1974, and still visit my parents there quite regularly.
At the age of 6, I began my school and university career, and I'm still at it. In particular:
- Attended the (no longer existing) Volksschule in Harle, 1961-65.
- Went to the Theodor-Heuss-Schule in Homberg, Bez. Kassel, 1965-73.
- Bundeswehr (compulsory military service), 1973-74. (Well, that wasn't exactly school, although I learned (very reluctantly) how to drive a truck, and how to wreck one. Also learned how to shoot (but later became a conscientious objector).
- Studied mathematics and physics (as minor subject) at the Technische Universität Clausthal in Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the beautiful Harz mountains of Nothern Germany. That was 1974-77 and again 78-79.
- Then off to Canada for a year (or so I thought!). Studied mathematics at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, 1977-78 and 79-83.
- The rest belongs more properly to my "professional CV"
Since 1984 I've lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with my wife Anna deVries and sons Anton (b. 1989) and Eric (b. 1991).
- Some photographs:
  - The whole family (April 1999, Atlanta, Georgia)
  - Anton and Eric with their cousin Jasper (October 1999, Mülheim, Germany)
  - The whole family again (Christmas 1999, Harle)
Some interests outside of mathematics:
- Listen to the Radio:
  - CBC Radio. Favourite programs:
    - "Quirks & Quarks" (a science program)
    - "Madly off in all direction" (Canadian Humour at its very best)
    - "Ideas" (Cultural, scientific, and social issues)
    - and many other programs, as time allows.
  - Radio Deutsche Welle, the German overseas shortwave service.
- Read the papers:
  - The Globe & Mail (Toronto), a national daily.
  - The Daily News, a Halifax daily.
  - Die Zeit, a German weekly.
- Fun with words:
  - Word plays in papers and radio:
    - "The Globe Challenge" in Saturday's Globe & Mail
    - "Canada's Most Wanted Words" on CBC Radio.
  - Collecting limerick books, recently with the help of on-line book sites.
    See also my bibliography of limerick books.
  - An attempt to learn more Czech. This is made easier by
    - An on-line dictionary,
    - An on-line newspaper, "Neviditelný pes" ,
    - "Ceský rozhlas", the Czech national radio on "Real Audio",
    - BBC World Service in Czech.
Some preferences and prejudices:
- Train travel vs. cars and (when reasonable) planes. Whenever I can, I travel by
  - Deutsche Bahn, the German railway system (and other European railways);
  - VIA Rail, the Canadian passenger rail network;
  - Amtrak, the US passenger railway system.
- Radio vs. TV (but I do like the "Royal Canadian Air Farce" and "This Hour Has 22 Minutes" on CBC TV).
- Humor vs. seriousness. There is (even?) humor in mathematics:
  - Mathematik und Humor, a predominantly German site;
  - Mathematical cartoons;
  - "Don't drink and derive"; a mathematical humor page.
- Public vs. private institutions. Some relevant sites:
- Some other organizations I like:
Websites of some friends and relatives:
- David Barry, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio.
- Pfarrer Johannes Barth in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.
- Uwe Brauns and family, Schortens, Germany.
- The Open Ernstival, initiated by Friedrich Keller, Seemühle, Germany.
- Maya Khankhoje, Montréal, Québec.
- De Geeuwpoldermolen, a windmill in Friesland, The Netherlands (Ruurd Jakob Nauta).

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