4 ms·

This is one of the most obviously untrue blog posts I've read on medium which is some sort of achievement I suppose. The null hypothesis has to be that the num

This is one of the most obviously untrue blog posts I've read on medium which is some sort of achievement I suppose. The null hypothesis has to be that the number of interesting and important open research problems in mathematics is expanding without limit. If the author thinks that's not the case it's up to them to actually justify their position rather than just blandly state it with a "No true Scotsman" addition that the number of problems that are interesting to "a fair number of people" is diminishing on the basis that they find "The Journal of Algebra" to contain things that are not interesting to them. Most mathematicians I know seem accutely aware that the field of mathematics as a serious intellectual endeavour is over 3000 years old at this point and therefore are aware of its maturity as a field.

vouaobrasil 2y ago
Well, it is difficult to obtain data on this because it would require a survey of mathematicians, or a rigorous study of citation figures but maybe I'll do it if I have time. Incidentally, I am a mathematician, or at least was a practicing one for some years and have published in the field...and I can say that from personal experience, math is exceptionally fragmented. Yes, you point out a valid criticism but I don't really have the time to collect data on this. Edit: I also wonder if the immediate denial of my statement is due to the emotional attachment that some people have to the purity of and beauty of mathematics. I also think mathematics is beautiful but that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems.
- g15jv2dp 2y ago
  > Yes, you point out a valid criticism but I don't really have the time to collect data on this. You did have time to make a blog post, though. Apparently, it's more important to you to broadcast your opinion than to make sure it is correct?
  - vouaobrasil 2y ago
    > You did have time to make a blog post, though. Apparently, it's more important to you to broadcast your opinion than to make sure it is correct? Well, I know it's true from experience as a researcher.
    - g15jv2dp 2y ago
      And I know it's false from experience as a researcher. What now?
      - vouaobrasil 2y ago
        I guess nothing. I'm trying to convince people of one thing, you can do another.
      - hobofan 2y ago
        You don't believe him and that's it. It's a blog post and not a published research paper for a reason. And reality also exists outside the scope of what's published in journals.
j16sdiz 2y ago
I think you missed the point.
sebstefan 2y ago
I'm not sure if that makes it obviously untrue or obviously not backed up by something solid
- vouaobrasil 2y ago
  I will do some serious data analysis on this topic and get back here with part two when I have time.
nihzm 2y ago
While I also disagree with the post, my take on it was it is more a critique of the increasing hyperspecialization of mathematical problems. Of course the number of mathematical problems is endless, but I also feel that they are becoming more and more inaccessible. In my current university (and others) undergraduate math students do not even have to write a thesis anymore because of the number of people who came at the end without any new results to show. Instead, to obtain their degree they are tasked with things like rewriting existing papers into chapters for lecture notes (what the author suggests). For graduate students theses are still a thing but the situation is not much better. Talking to my peers I got the impression that many (but not all of course) in their theses are either generalizing something they themselves already tought was too general or are overanalyzing an obscure problem using tools that can only be found in maze of unreadable papers. I'm not saying that papers should be easy, but if even most graduate students can't read the research material there is probably an underlying problem.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

vouaobrasil 2y ago

Well, it is difficult to obtain data on this because it would require a survey of mathematicians, or a rigorous study of citation figures but maybe I'll do it if I have time. Incidentally, I am a mathematician, or at least was a practicing one for some years and have published in the field...and I can say that from personal experience, math is exceptionally fragmented. Yes, you point out a valid criticism but I don't really have the time to collect data on this. Edit: I also wonder if the immediate denial of my statement is due to the emotional attachment that some people have to the purity of and beauty of mathematics. I also think mathematics is beautiful but that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems.

g15jv2dp 2y ago
> Yes, you point out a valid criticism but I don't really have the time to collect data on this. You did have time to make a blog post, though. Apparently, it's more important to you to broadcast your opinion than to make sure it is correct?
- vouaobrasil 2y ago
  > You did have time to make a blog post, though. Apparently, it's more important to you to broadcast your opinion than to make sure it is correct? Well, I know it's true from experience as a researcher.
  - g15jv2dp 2y ago
    And I know it's false from experience as a researcher. What now?
    - vouaobrasil 2y ago
      I guess nothing. I'm trying to convince people of one thing, you can do another.
    - hobofan 2y ago
      You don't believe him and that's it. It's a blog post and not a published research paper for a reason. And reality also exists outside the scope of what's published in journals.

j16sdiz 2y ago

I think you missed the point.

sebstefan 2y ago

I'm not sure if that makes it obviously untrue or obviously not backed up by something solid

vouaobrasil 2y ago
I will do some serious data analysis on this topic and get back here with part two when I have time.

nihzm 2y ago

While I also disagree with the post, my take on it was it is more a critique of the increasing hyperspecialization of mathematical problems. Of course the number of mathematical problems is endless, but I also feel that they are becoming more and more inaccessible. In my current university (and others) undergraduate math students do not even have to write a thesis anymore because of the number of people who came at the end without any new results to show. Instead, to obtain their degree they are tasked with things like rewriting existing papers into chapters for lecture notes (what the author suggests). For graduate students theses are still a thing but the situation is not much better. Talking to my peers I got the impression that many (but not all of course) in their theses are either generalizing something they themselves already tought was too general or are overanalyzing an obscure problem using tools that can only be found in maze of unreadable papers. I'm not saying that papers should be easy, but if even most graduate students can't read the research material there is probably an underlying problem.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]