We have reached a 'swamp'. That's a technical term, from a field of mathematics called numerical analysis. Numericists (no, not numismatists) have a lot of algorithms that converge to the right answer. That doesn't mean they ever get there, but they keep getting closer and closer (like Zeno). So you repeat a calculation over and over, re-using the last result to calculate the next one, and the answers you get are changing in a certain direction. As you get close to the right answer, they change by less and less - Think of a parachutist who slows her descent as she approaches the earth. Sometimes, the only way you even know your answer is close to the right one is that it's stopped changing very much. But there are some problems where the answer will stop changing much, even for a long time, but then get back on track and change quite a bit again before finally getting close to the answer. It's a real problem.
Anyway, I feel like I'm in a bit of a swamp for the second half of this variation. It's been sub-optimal practicing for a couple of days in a row though, since I've been focused on BUYING A HOUSE. YEP, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE AND IT'S A WEIRD FEELING so I've been distracted. Still practicing though! I know you're listening because it tells me so, and I'm not going to let you down no matter what. But we might be stuck in a swamp together for a little while.
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