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Solving 20 Erdős Problems with 20 Codex Accounts Running in Parallel

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Re: Solving 20 Erdős Problems with 20 Codex Accounts Running in Parallel

#65

Post by cubefox »

bananaflag wrote: post #53
cubefox wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of certain simple but addictive video games: "What are these virtual coins good for?" "You can buy better equipment" "Why do you need this equipment?" "To get more virtual coins of course!"

Which is a metaphor for life. I also had this sort of thoughts when finishing my master's degree. I guess what breaks the cycle is that proofs (like other artefacts in other human activities) deliver aesthetic bliss.

There still seems to be a difference between useless pure math research and useless science or useless philosophy. Science, even useless science, still has a subject matter that is relevant to us independently of science, the real world. And philosophy studies concepts (like "knowledge") that occur in natural language and thought, and those concepts are relevant to us independently of philosophy. But pure math is entirely self-referential. Pure math abstractions are used only in pure math. Pure mathematics is relevant exactly to pure mathematics and those who study it.

Re: Solving 20 Erdős Problems with 20 Codex Accounts Running in Parallel

#67

Post by falcor84 »

cubefox wrote: post #65
bananaflag wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is a metaphor for life. I also had this sort of thoughts when finishing my master's degree. I guess what breaks the cycle is that proofs (like other artefacts in other human activities) deliver aesthetic bliss.

There still seems to be a difference between useless pure math research and useless science or useless philosophy. Science, even useless science, still has a subject matter that is relevant to us independently of science, the real world. And philosophy studies concepts (like "knowledge") that occur in natural language and thought, and those concepts are relevant to us independently of philosophy. But pure math is ent…

But the thing with "pure" math, is that it can unexpectedly get adulterated by debased concerns such as enabling cryptography for the world economy.

Re: Solving 20 Erdős Problems with 20 Codex Accounts Running in Parallel

#68

Post by Shorel »

esafak wrote: post #8

Isn't this sucking the fun out of math? It's not like we're going to get any tangible benefit out of them, so why not let mathematicians keep their jobs?

In undergraduate math it doesn't matter if someone else did prove a result a hundred years before you. You still need to write your own proof and deeply understand it. Maybe in the most advanced PhD math it can have some impact, but these proofs are becoming intractable by humans alone.

Re: Solving 20 Erdős Problems with 20 Codex Accounts Running in Parallel

#69

Post by Shorel »

moi2388 wrote: post #35
esafak wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Conjectures and proofs are the fruit of the understanding. Nobody gets paid to think without producing anything.

How about philosophers?

They make cab rides more enjoyable with their deep conversations.
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