Original work

The whole point of a PhD is to contribute original material to your chosen field: if you do not add any new knowledge to your chosen subject matter, then the likelihood of receiving the title of "doctor" diminishes greatly; to zero, in fact.

I am approaching the point where I shall no longer be familiarising myself with the discipline of symmetry methods and will be working with my suprevisor, Dr Peter Hydon to develop some new techniques. Though I am slightly apprehensive at the prospect of doing some sums that don't necessarily have any tangible answer (or indeed any answer in the back of any book), it is for this reason that I decided undertaking a PhD would be a good idea and I only hope that something good and worthwhile will come of it.

One of the most difficult things I have experienced so far is providing updates to people around me on my progress. Full-time postgraduate study is a much more intense experience than undergraduate study and the rate at which new skills and knowledge are acquired is quite staggering; thus, trying to convey everything to anyone who isn't my supervisor has proved difficult. This diary has certainly provided some help in that area, but I have a long way to go before I can explain succinctly and effectively my subject matter and progress.

Any feedback on my explanations/diary will be gratefully received, by the way, if any of you feel so inclined.