This is a .gif of an undulating moray eel that was developed at Brandeis University. As you can see, the beginning wave of the eel (near its head) is fairly shallow, with a small amplitude. But as you observe the periods further down its body, you see that the amplitudes of the waves increase significantly and eventually become smooth sinusoidal patterns (would be more apparent if the .gif eel was longer). Now, our task is to develop a mathematical model of this six-foot eel’s undulating movement over time in a closed interval.
It’s amusing and almost annoyingly appropriate how this simple homework assignment (still currently trying to solve) represents my first week of grad school. I’ll leave it to your imagination to piece together this mathematical puzzle and how it relates to the first week struggles of a PhD student.
A hot pot of rice 