Q) Jonathan, how old are you?.
A) I'm 40 years old (as of 1 Feb, 2020). There is a fake Jonathan David Evenboer (in Kalamazoo and/or Portage, MI) who lives with the people who raised me and who is 63 years old (I'm sure the more intelligent reader will be able to put 2 and 2 together there). I've never met the 63 year old Jonathan David Evenboer. Any which way, that's not me.
Q) Do you live in Michigan?
A) No. I haven't set foot in Michigan for about 10 years. I have no plans on ever returning for any reason. I've lived in Corvallis/Philomath, OR for the last 10 years. The only times I've left Oregon in that time were to go to math conferences in California and Washington. Otherwise, I haven't left Oregon in about 10 years.
Q) So I shouldn't believe information on sites like Radaris, Spokeo, Instant People Finder, MyLife, etc.?
A) By and large, no, don't believe those sites. There's a lot of misinformation there. For instance, I haven't let anyone call me "Jon" since high school (in fact, I absolutely hate being called "Jon"), my phone number is NOT a 269 number, and I am not (nor have I ever been) married, etc. I've even seen a few of those sites list me as Catholic. That's a lie. I'm an atheist.
update (24 Oct. 2022: Here's another example of someone stealing my identity (https://orbisify.com/product/the-riddler-mask-cosplay-full-face-masks-helmet-halloween-party-costume-props/). If you look at the picture, the person has blue eyes. I do not have blue eyes. Also, I would never buy something frivolous like a cosplay mask for $30. Also I don't own any musical instruments. Also, I've had a shaved head for years. Also, I've never seen the newer batman movie.)
update (22 March, 2023): This person(www.tiktok.com/@corienevenboer) is definitely not me. I've never been to the Netherlands, I don't speak Dutch, and I'm seriously considering legally changing my last name.
Q) So you're not married?
A) No. Nor am I engaged to be married. I've been single since about 2009, and haven't even gone on a date since about 2011. I've pretty much accepted the my last relationship was my final relationship. Not because that person was so amazing that no one will ever compare, but because experience has taught me that I'm just not good in relationships. I don't really know how to act in healthy relationships (platonic, romantic, familial, etc.). I've never really been good with other people. I think I, myself, am fine. I just don't interact with others well. I haven't so much as gone out for a cup of coffee with another person in over a decade.
I should note that I'm also not waiting on some magical relationship to fall in my lap. I don't believe in the romantic notion of "that special someone". I choose reality over fantasy..
Honestly, it's just sort of too late for me. I'll never be able to see people beyond potential abusers or people who only like some fantasy ideal of what I could be if I'd just change every single thing about myself. I don't like dancing, I don't like going to concerts, I'm an atheist, I don't want kids, I'm a mathematician who will never get a job in mathematics, I don't drink alcohol at all, etc. I'm perfectly content with dying alone at this point in my life. And I'm not interested in flings or one-night stands. I'm also perfectly content, at this point, to never have friends or any kind of family (surrogate or otherwise).
Q) Why do you use British English spellings?
A) It's a habit I picked up in high school. I read a lot of British literature (I liked the dry sense of humour), and I got confused by the differences in spellings between British and American English. I adopted British English spellings because I assumed they were the correct spellings since...well, since the English language comes from Britain. I thought I had been misspelling things for my whole life and wanted to be correct. That's it. There's nothing more to that story. I just got into the habit of using British spellings, and never stopped. It should be noted that I can be kind of inconsistent with British spellings, since it was sort of a "self-taught" thing.
Q) Are you an owner/broker?
A) No. I've never worked in real estate on any level. I've certainly never worked for Evenboer-Walton Realtors (in fact, I was told...without prompting, mind you....in no uncertain terms that I could never work for that business. Which is wild, because I didn't, and don't, like sales work, and certainly not real estate). The closest I ever came to working in real estate was when I did data entry for Metropolitan Title Co and Devon Title Co (I also worked as a courier for Devon Title). So...no.
It's also worth noting that I am not, nor have I ever been at any point in my life, an IT tech. I can barely burn CD's from my music library on my computer. Being an IT tech is beyond my ability. I mean, I still use a flip phone...
Q) What's you relation to the site "Rational Wiki"?
A) None. It comes up when you search my name because someone with the same last name is related to that site. I looked at the site once, out of curiosity, and thought it was a bit much. . Again, I'm an atheist (in the sense that I follow no religion AND in the sense that I lack belief in any type of deity). At the same time I don't feel like I have to go to bat against the whole of the religious world. I just believe what I believe and could care less what others believe so long as they don't push it on me. I guess I understand RationalWiki's existence, but it's not something I would spend time working on myself.
As of 1 Jan. 2021, I've also noticed a lot of things about "Reformed church" and "Dutch reformed church" coming up with my name when I google search myself. Again I AM AN ATHEIST. I have nothing to do with ANY religious group. All of this religious stuff that comes up with my name in google searches is apparently because someone named Jtarko (or whatever) has the same last name as me. I've never met that person, and judging by their interests, I probably wouldn't much like that person. Again.... I AM AN ATHEIST AND AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH ANY RELIGION OR ANY FORM OF SPIRITUALITY!
Q) What's your race?
A) I'm not 100% sure. I did do two different DNA tests, with different results both times. Generally, they both came up with me being of a majority European/Ashkenazi Jewish DNA, with a minority African DNA. One also said I had some Sri Lankan genetics. The European/Jewish genetics were from all over...Eastern, Northern, Southern...literally all over Europe. The African genetics are apparently Afro-Egyptian/Sudanese (more specifically, Nubian...as in the actual ethnic group, and not the general catch-all term many African-Americans use for general African-ness).. The Nubian genetics surprised me, as I've generally claimed Cape Coloured (a South African ethnic group) ancestry, given my last name. I suppose this doesn't mean my Nubian ancestor didn't move to South Africa and eff a Euro-SriLankan, and then had another of my ancestors. I suppose anything is possible. But usually "Cape Coloured" implies some amount of Koi-San heritage, and I didn't see that in either of the reports I received. Anyway, I just consider myself "mixed". I'll probably take a 3rd "tie breaker" DNA test some day, since the results of the two I took were different enough that I feel the need to affirm one or the other... or get some wacky 3rd result where I'm like majority Jamaican and minority Icelandic or something totally unexpected One test i took using my real name, the other I took under a pseudonym. Either which way, I think my life experience has taught me that I'm not white enough for white people and I'm not Black enough for Black people....so "mixed" works pretty well for describing my race.
For what it's worth, the African genetics are (much) greater than "one one billionth" of my make up.. "Minority" does not imply "insignificant". (More than a few months ago, pre-COVID, I went to a discussion on campus entitled "Am I Black Enough", and the speaker told me that I was at best "one one billionth" African, which is why I threw that fraction out there.....sort of an "eff you" to her and a few other people on the panel who basically told me...I wasn't Black enough to be part of a conversation about...ummm....feeling like you're not "Black enough" I know it's petty of me, but after a lifetime of being called the n-word and having people stick pencils in my hair (amongst other things), it just irks me when I turn around and get "you can't trust someone with that much white in him" or "you're not black enough" and comments like that..)
Also note: none of the above changes any of my racial justice/civil rights stances (up to and including reparations for descendants of slaves) found throughout this blog. I'm just being realistic about my place in the racial conversation. My place is "somewhere in the middle".
Q) Aren't you an artist/writer/musician?
A) No. I am a mathematician (or, at least, someone training to become a mathematician). When I was in my 20's, I tried doing the art/music/writing thing but I hated it. It was mostly just a way to make friends and have fun. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, as I may never had taken the math path otherwise), I never really made any friends nor had much fun doing that kind of thing. I think it was a case of "don't be someone you're not". I haven't painted, or written fiction/poetry, or touched a musical instrument since moving to Oregon. I've been a much happier person since leaving all of that behind me.
Q) Did you grow up in the suburbs?
A) No.. The family that raised me moved to the suburbs about half way through my 7th grade year. By and large, through out my life, I have lived in low income areas. I would estimate that about 80% of my life has been spent NOT living in the suburbs.
Q)Have you ever been arrested?
A) No. I have been handcuffed and placed in the back of police cars for things like...doing nothing aside from sitting on my porch...but I've never been formally arrested. I've had some traffic tickets. When I was 19, I had to go to court and got sentenced to an alcohol diversion programme after I got ticketed for a Minor in Possession. Going through the programme expunged the charge from my record, though. Other than that...I'm a fairly law-abiding person.
Q)Are you as volatile in real life as you are on your blog?
A) No. I'm pretty low-key. I don't really raise my voice, I don't really get angry, and (by and large) I just don't ever feel the need to get bent out of shape over things that I can't change. If I come off as volatile on this blog, it's unintentional. I use coarse language because sometimes things piss me off (e.g.; racism, sexism, homophobia, the forcing of religion on people, child abuse/paedophelia) enough where my emotions are raw enough where my uneducated/unsocialized past kind of comes out in my written voice. In real life, I don't shout (although I'll admit I do use curse words probably more than I should).
While I feel that using curse words isn't the best way to communicate, I do feel there are instances where it's appropriate to use them to convey the severity of one's emotions.
But, no, in real life I'm pretty genial, kind, easy going., etc.
Q) Do you really still use a flip phone?
A) Yes. I enjoy the simplicity. I can call and I can receive texts. That's all I need from a phone. In general, I try to lead a very simple life. It has nothing to do with being a Luddite or a techno-paranoid nut job. I just don't need a smart phone. So I don't own one. It's that simple. If/when the time comes where I need to buy a smartphone, I will (begrudgingly) get one. And it will probably be the cheapest, most archaic smartphone available.
Q) What's with you and Jamaica?
A)I just love the people. Just about everywhere I've lived (excluding Oregon), I've hung out with at least 1 Jamaican, and they're always kind, willing to have a thoughtful conversation, and hardworking af. They also happen to know how to have a legit good time after a hard day's work. I've written about this elsewhere on this blog. But, in short, it's definitely not a "bro...Jamaica is weed and reggae brah..." kind of thing. I personally hate that lazy weed-smoking beach bum fake rasta caricature stereotype of Jamaicans (and Caribbean people in general). Most rastas are basically all-by-hand farmers who work sun up to sundown 7 days a week. Weed isn't even legal recreationally in JA, unlike in certain American states. I just respect the people and the culture. And, yes, I love Jamaican food and I love Caribbean music in general (but especially dancehall). And, yes, I definitely want to swim in some of those waterfall pools in the mountains of JA.
Q) What are your other mathematical research interests, aside from those listed in your "About" section?
A) I like geometric analysis, representation theory, graph theory, and even some logic. By and large, most of my interest in "other subjects" is really limited to their application to symplectic and contact geometry and topology. I'm sort of a "focus person" like that. I can be focused to the point of exclusion of other things. As I mentioned in the post for my summer 2020 project, one of the things I like about symplectic and contact geometry and topology is its interplay with so many of the subjects I have secondary interest in.
Q) Did you really tell someone to use Wolfram Alpha to solve a problem on Twitter?
A) Loooool!! Yes, but it was meant to be a joke. Joking on social media is really hit or miss, as I've found.
I suggested using Wolfram as a joke, but the other person took me seriously, and I (probably unfortunately) decided to double down on my joking suggestion. Apparently it's on his website that I suggested using Wolfram Alpha. Anyway, I learned my lesson about joking around in that manner on the internet. I should probably let the other mathematician know it was a joke, but I have sort of a weird sense of humour, and I find it kind of funny that my name is on his site because of my joke.
(I actually just now (2 March, 2021) learned that the person in question, Alexander Bogomolny, passed on 7 July, 2018. I remember him as being a nice guy with a good sense of humour... which is why I thought he would get my Wolfram "troll", and which is part of the reason why I doubled down on it... I thought we were running with the joke together. I only ever interacted with him on Twitter, but I enjoyed his love for problem solving and his joy in sharing mathematics with whomever was interested. RIP.)
Q) Why do you like Math?
A) I saved this on for last because it has the longest response. I have a lot of reasons for liking Mathematics. I'll do a little list:
- I love the abstraction. I sometimes make a joke about how I switched from Physics to Math because I just hate reality. There's sort of some truth in the joke. I find it really difficult to do Mathematics when it's tied to some real-life concept. That's why I tend to specify that I like Pure Mathematics (Mathematics for their own sake). In it's purest form, Mathematics is like building a language at a really base level. If Applied Mathematics can be thought of as the discipline of putting meaning to the language (in this analogy they make the words we can use) then Pure Mathematics is the discipline of creating the letters and vocal intonations and rules for things like how to contract two words and how to differentiate a quotation from the rest of the sentence. I don't know if that's a weird way to describe it, but that's how I views Mathematics. It's kind of funny that the subjects I'm attracted to have their origin in Physics, given the above. But like I said in my answer to the previous question, my interest in my given subjects is primarily because it lies at such an interesting intersection of interesting Mathematics. It doesn't just draw form other subjects, it contributes to other subjects. I like that. I'm also attracted to the fact that my preferred subjects are all relatively "young" fields, and there's still a lot of "structure building" to do.
- I like the work itself. Is it stressful? Yes. But it's the good kind of stress (eustress?). It's fun to me. It depends on the subject, for sure. But in subjects that I do like, especially with a good text at hand, I'll pour over note taking and practice problems for hours and just lose myself. I'll try different approaches to the same problem, just because. I'll write extra steps that were only implied in a text in the text's margins. In the current book I'm using for an ODE course, for example, I was writing in some "missing" steps for calculations of an equality/identity and I noticed there was an implication that all matrices of this certain type commuted. So I noted that in the margins, and then wrote a note to myself to think about what a generalized non-commutative system of ODE's would look like.. I just enjoy making those types of connections. It's a really gratifying feeling.
- I like it benefits society both directly and indirectly. Without Mathematics, we wouldn't have x-ray machines or bridges that can hold multiple trucks that weigh over a ton each. No internet. No cell-phones...not even flip phones! None of those things could exist without the language of Mathematics. Refining that language opens possibilities for even more amazing Scientific and Technological advancements.
- I like that Mathematics, and especially Pure Mathematics, is in and of itself void of things like morality and politics and mysticism. Like I said earlier, it's just pure logic.
-I like the creativity involved. It's a creativity that not...it's not "creativity" in the artistic sense, but it still take creativity to make connections and find novel ways to find problems. Human creativity is something machines can't emulate (yet). Computers are nice for computations, but when it comes to actually coming up with the clever ideas you need to prove/solve a lot of things.
-I like that you can basically do Mathematics anywhere. I've done Mathematics with little more than some paper, a pencil, an eraser, and a headlamp while lying in a hikers tent (a tent that's big enough for a body and not much else). That's an extreme case (usually you need books, too.....or at least pdf's), but it definitely highlights how little you really need to do math. You don't need particle accelerators. You don't need welding equipment. You don't need a giant radio-wave telescope. It's a very bare-bones field compared to most STEM fields.
- I associate Mathematics with getting to a better place in my life. I don't confuse Mathematics with religion. Mathematics didn't have some magical miracle effect on my life. But I do think "finding" Mathematics inspired me to get to a better place. It was something I liked enough where I could say "Ok, I like this, and I'm not going to be able to do this until I get somethings sorted out". I quit alcohol, I stopped keeping the company of toxic people (even those I'm supposedly related to), and I just generally started making better and healthier choices. It wasn't easy (or pretty), but in the end I definitely exited a dark place where... I didn't know anything else. I guess it was just such a great thing to find something that I actually liked... I just had to change. I guess it comes down to...I feel comfortable in my own skin these days. Like I'm really me now. And part of me is Mathematics. I can't really describe it in any other way.
Q) Why do you wear bandanas and hats all the time?
A) I have a fairly large cyst (which occasionally drains & becomes smaller, but is still significantly sized) on the crown of my head. I've noticed it makes people feel uncomfortable, and I also feel self-conscious about it. So I cover it up. I've had it since I was about 15 or 16 years old (so over half my life, by this point).
I also cover it up because some people think it's cancer (it's just a wad of hair protein, aka keratin). It's not cancer. I've had it verified as a cyst by a couple of different doctors. But even if it was cancer, I wouldn't really want the pity some people give me when they think it's cancer.
Anyway, that's why I always wear something on my head. It's not like a gang thing or anything (and anyway, what gangs use colours like pink, orange, grey, yellow, Jamaican flag, etc?...sure red and black bandanas are generally associated with street gangs, but I wear all sorts of different colours b/c I bought a variety pack. It's not a gang thing.)