The following limericks were submitted at the DIMACS Workshop on Puzzling Mathematics and Mathematical Puzzles held June 8-9, 2007 in honor of Peter Winkler's 60th Birthday.
Let's all toast a fellow named Pete Who once had to work for his meat Now he roams down the halls Playing golf with two balls And exclaiming: "Isn't life sweet!" A mathematician named Pete Liked to lie but not repeat His math grew harder and bolder But that's because he just stood on Hungarians' shoulders And squeezing Carl's prize was no mean feat. A mathematician named Peter Attempted a verse in this meter But all of his iambs Made very bad rhyambs And so he was known as a cheater. A math guy named Pete hit a hurdle; Yet at 60, he's just as alert, he'll Win all the same At bridge, puzzles and games Though his graphs, they are no longer fertile. A mathematician names Winkler Was at times the world's quickest thinker His forte new words Animals in trees now called birds Or squashed cubes, how absurd Or claims 'bout 4/3 Or puzzles misheard And with stopping times he'd often tinker. A mathematician named Pete Gave lectures that filled every seat His theorems on graphs Elicited laughs. His secret: he wasn't discreet. A mathematician names Peter Studied games with a guesser and cheater. With parameters so Who wins? Now we know. Could math ever be any sweeter? A mathematician names Pete Found that math swept him off of his feet Mere mention of DIMACS Would cause him to climax In ways colleagues found indiscrete. A mathematician named Pete Seldom ever admitted defeat With a smile and a twinkle Solutions he'd winkle To problem abstract and concrete. A mathematician named Pete A combinatorialist elite, Lover of puzzles And Erdos-like muddles, Celebrates 60 years sweet. A mathematician names Pete, Possessor of left and right feet, As everyone knows Has a full set of toes; It's in his honor we meet (and eat) A mathematician names Pete With puzzles fills many a sheet; There isn't a box He cannot outfox, As puzzler none can compete. A mathematician names Pete With his games we'd compete; I had no inkling, So I thought like Winkling, And found a solution complete. A mathematician called Pete Invented a problem so sweet I could not sleep a wink- It drove me to drink To know him is really a treat. A mathematician named Pete Was pseudo randomly fleet His walk was harmonic Eigenvectors demonic In ln n Pete would repeat.