31–40 of 95 posts
I can't wait for theorem provers to be commonplace.
I can't wait for theorem provers to be commonplace.
A proof that no one would understand in not a good proof. The ideal approach to proving theorems, at least according to how Grothendieck did it, is to build a beautiful theory in which the proof becomes elementary.
One day I'll retire and go back to school. The idea of learning Math - really learning & understanding Math - as a fun pastime is so appealing. What's stopping me now? That sweet overpaid SDE salary and the endless obligations that come from being an adult. I suspect I am not alone...
One of my biggest regrets is not having studied (more) math. But would I regret not studying CS had I studied math? You really can't win :/
Earlier quoted context omitted.
keep the salary. if the goal it to change the world, to understand reality, to have an impactful life, have a good standard of living, etc. math is one of the hardest ways of achieving that. It's such a saturated field. Almost everything you can imagine has been done to the highest possible degree of abstraction. Every stone overturned except for things which may take a lifetime to even try to understand. Writing a b…
I'm not going to gainsay your experience, but it doesn't match mine. Much of what you do in graduate school is to discover where the accessible areas of research are--where do we have a foothold, and are making progress, and what are some achievable results? There are big and hairy problems that are bad investments for a young mathematician. I would steer students clear of the Collatz conjecture. But once you get up…
One day I'll retire and go back to school. The idea of learning Math - really learning & understanding Math - as a fun pastime is so appealing. What's stopping me now? That sweet overpaid SDE salary and the endless obligations that come from being an adult. I suspect I am not alone...
keep the salary. if the goal it to change the world, to understand reality, to have an impactful life, have a good standard of living, etc. math is one of the hardest ways of achieving that. It's such a saturated field. Almost everything you can imagine has been done to the highest possible degree of abstraction. Every stone overturned except for things which may take a lifetime to even try to understand. Writing a b…
It's not easy, but it's certainly very impactful.
One day I'll retire and go back to school. The idea of learning Math - really learning & understanding Math - as a fun pastime is so appealing. What's stopping me now? That sweet overpaid SDE salary and the endless obligations that come from being an adult. I suspect I am not alone...
Clearly you find earning/spending money more appealing than math.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
keep the salary. if the goal it to change the world, to understand reality, to have an impactful life, have a good standard of living, etc. math is one of the hardest ways of achieving that. It's such a saturated field. Almost everything you can imagine has been done to the highest possible degree of abstraction. Every stone overturned except for things which may take a lifetime to even try to understand. Writing a b…
I think the whole point would be to retire and do math for fun, not desiring anything more than the joy of discovery, no footnotes, no recognition, just math. 99.99% of everyone won't be remembered for their "contributions" so why not do something you enjoy?