NPC: Fermat

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Due to multiple options when speaking, text below may not be in comprehensive order.

*You see this female gnome rapidly writing on her slate. She stops for a moment, wiEL-DB.compes off something with her handkerchief, then writes more, tongue out of her lips*

Hello

*She is startled by your call, and drops the slate on the table.* Oh my goodness! You scared me!. What's wrong with you? I'm not due for office hours, I'm sure... anything else I might help you with?

Who are you?

Now, that's a strange way to approach someone. Officially I am Professor Fermat E. Aemonnas, B.Math, M.Sc., Ph.D, mul. But you can call me Fermat. Or, although I have no fixation with titles, maybe Professor Fermat would be more fitting, if my colleagues are around. They keep saying I'm too level with students.

Professor

Yes dear. I teach Mathematics here at the school, and a monographic course on Arithmetic which is propedeutic to Arithmancy. And of course, other subjects: Proportions (which is propedeutic to Enlinkment), Advanced Geometry (which is propedeutic to Geomancy) and Principles of Cabal.

Arithmetic

Arithmetic is the study of numbers as such, and of their natural properties. For example, everyone knows how addition works. But not many know that there are links between the properties of the addends, and the properties of the result. As I teach in Proportions, things in the world have links to numbers, and when things interact, the outcome will have links to the results of an operation between 'their' numbers.

Arithmancy

You got the basics of Arithmetic? Then, Arithmancy teaches you how numbers can be used to predict the future. It requires pretty advanced math in truth. I usually have a simple example on first day of class: you know that the position of planets and stars influences our destiny; that's Astrology, Neptuna can tell you all about it.

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But we know that planets move according to certain laws, and their position at any time can be determined by a mathematical formula. Then, what is it really that influences our destiny: the planets themselves, or the numbers and computations that dictate their positions? If you ask me, planets are enlinked to numbers, and that explains it all.

Proportions

Numbers do not come alone; they are entangled in a system of proportions and relations. Numbers have meanings only because of their proportions to othEL-DB.comer numbers. Take for example a seemingly arbitrary number, 1729. Well, 1729 is the smallest number that is the sum of two cubes in two different ways.

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In fact, 1^3+12^3 = 1729 = 9^3+10^3. Hence, there is a special proportion between 1729, 1, 12, 9, 10 and 3. Moreover, no other set of numbers partakes in that same proportion. In the course, I teach how to interpret this fact. When you arrived I was working on 87539319.

Enlinkment

That's an advanced course, only the best students are admitted. They teach spells that enlink things on the real world to certain numbers, so that the real thing is forced to behave according to the number it has been enlinked to.

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Like, when you do summoning, summoned creatures are enlinked to the summoner's own number, the one established by Cabal, so that they are doomed to follow the summoner, and to -1, so their health declines in time. In a sense, we all are enlinked to -1, but more or less strongly. Of course, summoners see the matter differently...

Geometry

Geometry is the study and measure of shapes, forms and figures. The course is called Advanced Geometry, but in reality we start from scratch again, compass and straightedge. You would be surprised to know how many students don't even know how to tile an hyperbolic plane!

Geomancy

What Arithmancy is for numbers, Geomancy is for shapes: a method of divination by observing forms and shapes. In truth, most Geomancy could be treated as a simple application of Arithmancy, but Grandmaster Nerala likes to keep them as different subjects, so we stick to the traditional separation.

Cabal

Cabal is the study of relationships between words (especially names) and numbers, and how properties of numbers establish links between words. So, each of us has a secret number, derived from his or her own name. Those who know the number, know how to influence the person. The same goes for groups of people: a guild has its own number; a race has its own number... but the larger the group, the weaker the link.

Colleagues

You know, the other teachers at the school. They are in my opinion a little haughty, and frown EL-DB.comupon me when I come to personal terms with students. Mechanicus for example is terribly formal.

Grandmaster Nerala

She is Grandmaster of Fire, and a very, very influential figure at the School. Maybe just a bit leaning on the mystique side, but a pleasant person anyway. We once wrote a paper together on the powers of four, you see - it was received well and got a lot of citations. She's a very interesting and powerful person to know... you just need to know how to understand her.

Mechanicus

He teaches Mechamagics, and we collaborate from time to time on applying Analytical mechanics to his studies. However, I'm not that good at Analytical mechanics, all those infinitesimally small forces and movements blow my head away. As a subject of study, 87539319 is much more interesting.

Neptuna

She is pursuing a doctorate in Astronomy, and works at the School as a teaching assistant. Young and brilliant girl, if you ask me - she will overshadow her mother in due time! They use to say that amity with the skies runs in the family. She usually spends the days studying in the library, and then does her observations at night.

Mother

Neptuna's mother is Urania, she also used to work at the School, but has retired early so she could devote all her time to research. I believe she has started a business together with Mechanicus, kind of a spin-off of his early work.

Goodbye

It has been a pleasure to meet you; hope to see you at the school some time!