Interview with a Teacher

Mr Zeljko has been wielding the light saber of knowledge and showing us the mathematical path of the force for some time now in PRIMA. He has made us better mathematicians, students. Even those of us who believed that we could not be taught that oh, so challenging and sometimes downright perplexing subject were made to believe through the knowledge we ourselves possess now. Finally, after all that time, we were wondering if he could find some time to finally discuss some non-numerical questions with us.

PI: We all know you are a great fan of Star Wars. Could you tell us what you think of the latest film and what would you like to see Disney do with the franchise next?

I am a huge fan of Star Wars movies which I basically grew up with. That’s a very difficult question for me to answer, I like it very much and I would probably like anything but if I try being objective I will say there are some parts of the latest movie that I expected would happen differently especially with Luke SkyWalker to be more in the movie and not to die.

PI: What’s your favorite day of the week?

Friday afternoon, because I know I have two whole free days in front of me.

PI: How can you add 8’ to get the number 1,000? (only using addition)

(It took him some time but in the end he gave us a paper solving our answer).

PI: What’s your favorite math formula?

There is a lot of mind blowing formulas, but I will point to one which most of the students have heard about:

PI: If you were not a math teacher, what would you be?

I would be a pilot.

PI: Is there any problem on Earth mathematicians cannot solve?

There are many unsolved problems, the most famous one is the millennium problem but if all of them were solved new problems would come to the surface.

PI: Which famous mathematician do you like the most and why?

I would say RIEMANN, he left probably the most unsolved problem, Riemann’s Hypothesis. It would be great if I live long enough to see someone proving his hypothesis.

PI: Why did you decide to teach math?

Even when I was in my high school I helped my friends in math, later on I realizedthat people find my explanations easy to understand so I decided to proceed doing that as my profession.

PI: What’s you lucky number?

I must admit I don’t have a lucky number.

PI: If friends who love math were called algebras what are math teacher called who love their students?

I don’t know how to name them but they can easily be called by my name.