I know it is difficult meeting people these days. And, even when you are interested in meeting somebody, how do you break the ice?

If I can be so bold, I propose a straightforward approach. Just introduce yourself. No tricks, no clever openings. Just look the other party in the eyes and smile. Say: "Hello, I'm [your real name here]."

Conversations can, in the beginning, be quite uncomfortable. Get over this rough and awkward patch with plenty of smiles, light banter, or jokes. Actually, you should skip the jokes. Conversation, like anything else worth doing well, takes practice. As you talk to more and more people in social contexts, you'll find that you will become more loose and spontaneous. Then you'll start to improvise. But for now, try to reign in the instinct to follow your own tangents. Keep it light and don't get too original.

And avoid math as a topic. At all costs. In many South American countries, math books are sold as contraceptives. In Greece, mathematicians are euphemistically known as "tree choppers." Whether this refers to the tendency of mathematicians to be end of the family line due to their inability to find mates or whether it refers to the sad impotence that inevitably afflicts mathematics scholars is unclear. In Madagascar, fathers of mathematicians have been known to kill themselves through ritual exposure to the feces of diseased monkeys; such is the shame of birthing a mathematician. Whatever your personal feelings: Don't mention math!

It is crucial that you remember your new friend's name. That's the identifying sonic tag they provided you with when you first introduced yourself. It's like a username for use in the real world. In the excitement of meeting a live person, it is easy to forget their name. Remember it and use it often. People often can't get enough of their own names. Address your new friend by name. "Well, Gertrude, I think that's a fabu idea" or "My goodness, Mrs. Wagglebuttons, you are such a delightful humorist."

Avoid discussing careers. Though common, the old "What do you do?" is a bit of a conversational misstep. Besides being dull, some folks will find it pushy and intrusive.

Once you are actually engaged in conversation, just relax. The key thing is to let your new friend talk. People want to think you're paying close attention, and the easiest way to do this is ask encouraging, but non-intrusive questions.

Good luck. Let us know how it worked out.

Heh heh.

Two or three years ago I saw "Evolutionary Games and Population Dynamics" by Hofbaner and Sigmund in a bookshop. It looked fascinating. Then I remembered that I keep buying difficult and interesting mathematical books and failing to read them, so I just made a note of the details for when I've finished some of the books I've already bought.

I never found out if it is fascinating or not :-(