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I looked at the math in the article and I asked myself, what compels people to choose this path for their career? Nothing about it looks appealing. It looks lik

I looked at the math in the article and I asked myself, what compels people to choose this path for their career? Nothing about it looks appealing. It looks like a bunch of gibberish for 99% of humanity and only 1% of people willingly go to school to learn this stuff. I have a lot of respect for people who have jobs involving this level of math and physics so dummies like me have the ability to type out this comment.

MarcelOlsz 5y ago
I've been trying to learn math for years but truly have no idea where to begin. I started with Kiselev's Geometry and Gelfand's Algebra. I used to hate Math. When I read Lockharts Lament some years ago and it brought me to tears. Ever since then I've had a big appreciation for it but no real time to get into it. Gelfand's Algebra is really cool because it starts with the most basic problems ever that a 3rd grader can do, and works it's way up. It's worth checking out!
the_svd_doctor 5y ago
Math for the sake of math can be very self fulfilling. Like an intellectual hobby (it just takes a lot of work and energy).
Twisol 5y ago
This only answers a small piece of your question, but it's important to realize that the mathematical notation you see is only how mathematics is recorded and communicated. Most of what goes into doing mathematics happens in your head. "Doing" mathematics requires you to know what the object of study is, and what tools have historically been brought to bear on it, and these are communicated and taught via notation. But once you've internalized those concepts, the notation doesn't usually play a significant role. Yes, you may trial your ideas with some calculations, and once you're convinced of something you need to prove it with some degree of rigor. But you don't usually set out to prove something you don't already have some reason to believe in -- it's not like the math workbooks you may have encountered in school. (I second the sibling reply's mention of Lockhart's Lament!)
t_mann 5y ago
Grad School in most STEM fields will look equally gibberish to you, so your question is almost like asking "Why do people do research?". The answer is to learn things that we didn't know before. In most STEM fields it's about how the world works, in math you discover eternal truths, which is pretty cool too.
mhh__ 5y ago
Why do people climb mountains? "Because it's there"
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govg 5y ago
You could say that about practically anything in academia, especially sciences and engineering. Not to mention, most code of big organizations would look like gibberish to an amateur programmer, the Linux kernel would look meaningless to someone starting to code etc.
SnowHill9902 5y ago
1% is 70 millions so not even that level of mathematics could you comprehend.
Tainnor 5y ago
Most people would say the exact same thing about coding.

MarcelOlsz 5y ago

I've been trying to learn math for years but truly have no idea where to begin. I started with Kiselev's Geometry and Gelfand's Algebra. I used to hate Math. When I read Lockharts Lament some years ago and it brought me to tears. Ever since then I've had a big appreciation for it but no real time to get into it. Gelfand's Algebra is really cool because it starts with the most basic problems ever that a 3rd grader can do, and works it's way up. It's worth checking out!

the_svd_doctor 5y ago

Math for the sake of math can be very self fulfilling. Like an intellectual hobby (it just takes a lot of work and energy).

Twisol 5y ago

This only answers a small piece of your question, but it's important to realize that the mathematical notation you see is only how mathematics is recorded and communicated. Most of what goes into doing mathematics happens in your head. "Doing" mathematics requires you to know what the object of study is, and what tools have historically been brought to bear on it, and these are communicated and taught via notation. But once you've internalized those concepts, the notation doesn't usually play a significant role. Yes, you may trial your ideas with some calculations, and once you're convinced of something you need to prove it with some degree of rigor. But you don't usually set out to prove something you don't already have some reason to believe in -- it's not like the math workbooks you may have encountered in school. (I second the sibling reply's mention of Lockhart's Lament!)

t_mann 5y ago

Grad School in most STEM fields will look equally gibberish to you, so your question is almost like asking "Why do people do research?". The answer is to learn things that we didn't know before. In most STEM fields it's about how the world works, in math you discover eternal truths, which is pretty cool too.

mhh__ 5y ago

Why do people climb mountains? "Because it's there"

deleted 5y ago
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govg 5y ago

You could say that about practically anything in academia, especially sciences and engineering. Not to mention, most code of big organizations would look like gibberish to an amateur programmer, the Linux kernel would look meaningless to someone starting to code etc.

SnowHill9902 5y ago

1% is 70 millions so not even that level of mathematics could you comprehend.

Tainnor 5y ago

Most people would say the exact same thing about coding.