Okay guys…could someone, for the purposes of verifying that the word does, in fact, exist, please define “halmosian” for me? It’s in common usage here [well, translate “common” as “math department” and you’ll be much more accurate…], but my roommate just finds it silly, and thinks we’ve made it up. Much to my chagrin, a google search turns up 3 hits, one of which is in reference to a guy’s name, and two of which are pages of people here at school. Dictionary.com refuses to acknowledge it’s existance as well. You guys are my last hope!
I don’t know nothin about birthin no maths, but are they perhaps talking about Hamiltonian instead?
No, they are not talking about Hamiltonian. I even know Paul Halmos and I have never heard the term in 40 years of doing mathematics. So I think it is a term of your very own. I cannot think what it might mean, although measure theory is not my specialty.
If you’re looking for information about mathematical nomenclature, the place to go is Eric Weisstein’s World of Mathematcis. If it’s not there, (and it’s not), then perhaps you’ve misheard.
Mathworld is a great source, but I wouldn’t rely on it for recent research. Your best bet is to go to the math department and ask around; if you really heard it there, someone will know what it means.
Oh, I have a definition…a “halmosian” is that block or other thingy put at the end of the proof to indicate QED. But apaprently it’s just a Wilce-ism…it’s a shame really.
MPSIMS??
How about Hermitian or possibly Hessian?