Zu-Zu Land Safari
The Characters
Peter
Constantin : Little Dave
4 Students : Richard, Alexandra, Tullia, Priya
Gautam Iyer : Longo
The Script
[Lights up on classroom, students waiting for Professor, talking.]
S1: Man, did you get spanked by that midterm too?
S4: Yeah, I got totally hosed! I bet everyone did, eh?
S3: Actually, I did fine...
S2: Me too, I mean you just had to use a few inequalities.
S1: [Shaking head] I guess I just don't know what an inequality is for...
[Professor Constantin enters the classroom in full safari outfit with Gautam following behind looking subserviant.]
S3: Professor Constantin? Why are you dressed like the Crocidile Hunter?
PC: Because today we are leaving our familar world of inequalities and intergrals. [Gets far away visionary look] Today, [walks towards the side of the stage and GI follows] we are going to Zu-Zu
All: [Slight gasp]
S1: [With awe and excitment] Zu-Zu land!
S3: [With awe and excitment] Zu-Zu land!
S2: [With awe] Zu-Zu land!
GI: It's only a model...
PC: Shh!
All: [Singing Verse 1 of the dance]
Oh, here we
are in Zu-Zu Land,
We make bold claims and we wave our hands.
Where softness rules with silken hand,
We do more maths than we had planned.
S2: Oh my God! What's this?
S4: Eh?
S2: What's this?
PC: It's a Frechet Space.
GI: Oh, that's awesome! I've seen one of these before.
S1: Is it safe to touch?
PC: Yeah sure. It's just a locally convex F-space.
S3: Can we apply Holder's inequality?
PC: Don't be silly - this is Zu-Zu Land!...
All: [Singing Verse 2 of the dance]
Oh, here we
are in Zu-Zu Land,
We make bold claims and we wave our hands.
With time and patience we hope to find,
Machinery to to ease our minds.
S4: Oh wow, this is beautiful, eh?
GI: Oh yes, Zu-Zu Land is full of beautiful mathematics, but be careful though - it's a pain in the arse.
S2: What is it?
PC: Hmm, I'm not sure - but it clearly has the Heine-Borel property. Maybe I'll put it in the final.
S1: Oh no! I'm screwed!
S2: Don't worry. As long as it's dimensionally correct he'll give you the points.
S4: Eh?
All: [Singing Verse 3 of the dance]
Oh, here we
are in Zu-Zu Land,
We make bold claims and we wave our hands.
It's like a break from the daily grind,
To leave that hard maths far behind.
PC: On second thoughts lets not go to Zu-Zu Land. It's a silly place.
All: [Singing] In Zu-Zu Land!