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To grieve, or not to grieve?

167 points · 156 comments · stabbles

  1. youoy · · focus · HN ↗
    In contrast to what these philosophical pieces tend to convey, the main crisis in mathematics is a labour one.

    Mathematitians exchanged proofs for employment. That was the currency. Now they cannot use that currency anymore, so the question is how does someone know if they should hire an unknow person or not?

    Philosophicaly who cares if you like more theory building or theorem proving? You dont need to convince anyone. The only solution is to be curious and follow your interests and naturally humanity will redefine what the new mathematics feels like.

    You cannot convince anyone about it, its not something rational.

    1. skybrian · · focus · HN ↗
      Where does the money come from? Who controls it? Convincing the funders of mathematics that they should still fund it, but for different reasons, seems pretty urgent. Studying theoretical mathematics is a prestigious activity, and these philosophical arguments are a high-status way of coming up with new justifications with somewhat different goals.
      1. 1229386 · · focus · HN ↗
        It comes from AI boosters like XTX markets or the Simons Foundation.

        No convincing is needed. The part of mathematicians that are elite and online are already bought and put up various websites that allow tolerated dissent but are really dog and pony shows for AI.

        The offline part perhaps works on real math like Wiles and Perelman did.

      2. whattheheckheck · · focus · HN ↗
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