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It's interesting to read up about what terry himself has to say on the subject. https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-to-be-a-genius-to-do-
by thegreatshasha 12y ago
It's interesting to read up about what terry himself has to say on the subject. https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-to-be-a-genius-to-do-maths/ https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-t...
The comments section is particularly interesting in which a reader asks Terry about the genius of Ramanujan.
- shabda 12y agoIts also interesting to note Carlsen's, who is also frequently called the Mozart of chess, opinion on being called genius. "Those were kind words, but I’m not so generous with the use of the word genius myself." https://chess24.com/en/read/news/kramnik-calls-carlsen-a-genius-gets-icy-response https://chess24.com/en/read/news/kramnik-calls-carlsen-a-gen...
- yodsanklai 12y ago"Does one have to be a genius to do maths?" The question is vague. What is a genius? and what is "doing maths"? Are we talking about solving a simple linear differential equation, or getting a professor position in a reputable institution? or getting a field medal? In any case, it seems to me that Tao is giving the politically correct answer, that is everybody can do anything provided they work hard enough. I wonder if he honestly believes what he's saying. It may be pleasant to hear, but I'm convinced it's far from the truth. Some people are naturally much much more math inclined than others and no amount of extra work is going to make up for the difference in talent.