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For fields that require expensive lab equipment, like physics and biology, I admit this is hard. But for fields like math and computer science, all you need is

For fields that require expensive lab equipment, like physics and biology, I admit this is hard. But for fields like math and computer science, all you need is a computer and free time. A university can help you get time for research, by paying a salary so you don't have to do a non-research job, but there are other ways to handle that. A university can help you make connections and find collaborators, but it's not the only way to do that, either.

thebooktocome 12y ago
> But for fields like math and computer science, all you need is a computer and free time. As someone who has been on both sides, it can be hard to impossible to research mathematics without access to a university library and credentials. Math books are prohibitively expensive and go out of print swiftly. Articles are behind paywalls. Few research mathematicians in my experience respond to requests for preprints or clarification from non-academic e-mails.