2024 takeaways in no particular order

things i started learning:

• lean4 and bitvec proofs
• dataflow architectures
• coinduction
• setting up github workflow and CI
• managing AV setup for conferences
• salsa dancing, which is a lot of fun!

things i learned more of:

• LTL
• model checking
• buechi automata theory
• omega languages
• surviving in a foreign nation and dealing with nhs
• circt and mlir
• git
• C++
• SMT solvers
• constrained horn clauses and when they can be used
• safety versus liveness properties (bitter lesson learnt)
• organizing repositories decently
• python and good scripting practices
• semantics of circt dialects (for lean-MLIR)
• managing PRs in open source environments
• tolerating (appreciating?) uncertainty - after several years of therapy
• having a regular life schedule (in terms of waking up and going to bed and eating decently etc etc) actually has benefits, who would have thought lol

things i did:

• a lot of painting and especially watercoloring
• organizing a bunch of events (like compiler socials) and parties
• charading a gpu
• a lot of proposal writing
• writing contributions for circt and lean4
• more playing the piano
• more reasoning about counterpoint and harmony after a long time (thanks sid)
• reading a lot of poetry, i had forgotten how much i like it! (thanks sid again!)
• an all-nighter for paper submission - and friends made it a lot of fun
• a lot lot lot of clothes sewing (and wore said clothes too)

places i visited

• san francisco and santa clara for LLVM-dev
• copenhagen for PLDI
• india, where i survived food poisoning and had an amazing time with my new friends (whom i love very much)

even when things get pretty scary, humans are often more resilient than expected :)