> we urgently need to come up with good ways of explaining the value of having a large pool of human mathematical experts, even if it is no longer part of their role to find new proofs of theorems.
This is the main issue, and while I fully agree with that value sentiment, the Fields medallists’ letter failed to provide convincing arguments for why mathematicians should widely receive funding for merely understanding things, and how competition for postdoc and tenure positions would work under these circumstances.
I'm genuinely unclear on what you mean here. Do you mean:
1. Most mathematicians are currently largely paid as part of their academic job (as a faculty member) and will continue to do that work (including the research part) even if extra-mural grant funding goes away. That seems entirely plausible to me.
Or do you mean?
2. Real mathematicians will continue to devote a significant part of their life/energy to mathematics research as a hobby, even if no one is paying them (in any way) to do it? That seems more of a reach and makes me wonder if many currently folks current employed as mathematicians aren't 'Real mathematicians' from your point of view.
So we should return to a renaissance world where only the wealthy or sponsored can do research, teach, and promote the wonders of creativity. Just hope the oligarchs give us prols enough gruel to create our own solipsistic knowledge no one else knows much less cares about, entertained by LLMs optimized to placate our desires and extract money/attention.
As someone said below, many research on the side for a decade while having an ordinary job/life. It's often the best environment. No great research was reached at IAS.
With the assistance of AI, we are entering a golden age of individual math research without the need of huge institutions
Uh, John von Neuman didn't discover anything of significance at IAS? Just Hilbert Spaces and Computer Architecture, forget String Theory or Godel's Incompleteness, LOL!
New best prompt:
Write me a really cool math proof that will make me lots of money fast!
Why not let it just spit out the next token on its own without interference, if you can barely fool yourself into believing you understand what it proves... or hallucinates.
layer8 · · focus · HN ↗
This is the main issue, and while I fully agree with that value sentiment, the Fields medallists’ letter failed to provide convincing arguments for why mathematicians should widely receive funding for merely understanding things, and how competition for postdoc and tenure positions would work under these circumstances.
jayprr · · focus · HN ↗
ordersofmag · · focus · HN ↗
Or do you mean? 2. Real mathematicians will continue to devote a significant part of their life/energy to mathematics research as a hobby, even if no one is paying them (in any way) to do it? That seems more of a reach and makes me wonder if many currently folks current employed as mathematicians aren't 'Real mathematicians' from your point of view.
jayprr · · focus · HN ↗
kurthr · · focus · HN ↗
jayprr · · focus · HN ↗
With the assistance of AI, we are entering a golden age of individual math research without the need of huge institutions
kurthr · · focus · HN ↗
New best prompt:
Write me a really cool math proof that will make me lots of money fast!
Why not let it just spit out the next token on its own without interference, if you can barely fool yourself into believing you understand what it proves... or hallucinates.