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Written by a guy who was attending university level mathematics courses at the age of nine. Perhaps the sentiment is better expressed as being a genius is not s

Written by a guy who was attending university level mathematics courses at the age of nine. Perhaps the sentiment is better expressed as being a genius is not sufficient. Hard work is still required (but so is being a genius).

cschmidt 14y ago
I imagine he would say being a genius (which he clearly is) is neither necessary nor sufficient for working in math.
ColinWright 14y ago
Certainly hard work is required, but equally certainly, being a genius is not necessary. I'm a mathematician, and I'm no genius.
- BasDirks 14y ago
  You are not? How does one tell?
  - ColinWright 14y ago
    I've spent time with Tim Gowers, John Conway, Ron Graham, and others who are, without question, geniuses. I'm not in their league.
    - Evbn 14y ago
      Right. So you don't need to be a one in a million mind like Growers and Tao. You just need to be one in a thousand. Still not "anyone can bang it out".
      - dkarl 14y ago
        The minute or so starting at 5m40s in this video is apropos: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5935911405946587342 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5935911405946587342 (You may be interested in the rest of the video as well. It's a fascinating show.)
greeneggs 14y ago
I have to agree. Being a genius is very important if you want to be a mathematician. Tao is an excellent teacher, but I still don't know that someone as smart as him can really appreciate this. His perspective is nicely idealist, but is highly unrealistic for normal people. For example, he writes, "Professional mathematics is not a sport ... mathematics needs all the good people it can get." But if you want to be a professional mathematician, then you do need to play the sport, because you aren't going to get a job anywhere, let alone at UCLA, otherwise. It is a very competitive field.
- ColinWright 14y ago
  I have to agree. Being a genius is very important if you want to be a mathematician. How do you know? What makes you say this? I know many research mathematicians who are not geniuses (and a few who are) so I'm keen to know exactly how you have come to this conclusion.

cschmidt 14y ago

I imagine he would say being a genius (which he clearly is) is neither necessary nor sufficient for working in math.

ColinWright 14y ago

Certainly hard work is required, but equally certainly, being a genius is not necessary. I'm a mathematician, and I'm no genius.

BasDirks 14y ago
You are not? How does one tell?
- ColinWright 14y ago
  I've spent time with Tim Gowers, John Conway, Ron Graham, and others who are, without question, geniuses. I'm not in their league.
  - Evbn 14y ago
    Right. So you don't need to be a one in a million mind like Growers and Tao. You just need to be one in a thousand. Still not "anyone can bang it out".
    - dkarl 14y ago
      The minute or so starting at 5m40s in this video is apropos: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5935911405946587342 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5935911405946587342 (You may be interested in the rest of the video as well. It's a fascinating show.)

greeneggs 14y ago

I have to agree. Being a genius is very important if you want to be a mathematician. Tao is an excellent teacher, but I still don't know that someone as smart as him can really appreciate this. His perspective is nicely idealist, but is highly unrealistic for normal people. For example, he writes, "Professional mathematics is not a sport ... mathematics needs all the good people it can get." But if you want to be a professional mathematician, then you do need to play the sport, because you aren't going to get a job anywhere, let alone at UCLA, otherwise. It is a very competitive field.

ColinWright 14y ago
I have to agree. Being a genius is very important if you want to be a mathematician. How do you know? What makes you say this? I know many research mathematicians who are not geniuses (and a few who are) so I'm keen to know exactly how you have come to this conclusion.