Sunday, March 22, 1998
The lie of modern mathematics
Dedicated to Brian Hutchins. Maybe he should study a little psychology.
Meaning is given to activities by groups of people. Many mathematicians today seem to believe that they have meaning in their work based on the approval or disapproval of other mathematicians. But as research in "pure mathematics" continues, such opinion becomes increasingly meaningless as fewer and fewer understand what anyone is doing.
Not even mentioning the loss of support from society the opinion of which is disdained anyway by most in the ivory towers of academia. Despite the realities of who pays the bills… It's not impossible to imagine the doll someday being cut off.
But of course, there is an importance in the activity for its own sake, right? That puts mathematical work on the level with the delusions of the insane. It is important to them after all.
Back to the point of the appoval or disapproval of mathematicians themselves. What does it matter when so few have any real understanding of what any particular mathematican is talking about. Complexity is piled upon complexity. Proofs are of incredible length and everyone acts like there's a certainty there. In my opinion, that sounds like delusion.
It all comes back to a certain arrogance. As if God ordained a task so grand. But Mathematics is infinite and has real value to us based on its usefulness to and in our finite little world. At least Godel sucked some of the air out of such hubris. So many are trekking off into infinite with little understanding. Trampling in their haste over so much that is certainly of value in more limited circles. Has everything simpler really been that well explored?
Ultimately, I think that much of what we call "modern mathematics" will simply die off. Endless journals and books filled with what may as well be mindless doodling because eventually no one will ever read any of it. Until then, I do thank God that you mainly burden yourselves with such because most of it is already being ignored by the mainstream…unless it is of use to them.
Which is as it should be. "Pure mathematics" research sounds to me like just another form of social welfare. And those that hide behind the term, sound too afraid to accept the challenge of producing something of real value to either those in the present or near future.
Just some thoughts that have been percolating. Having been diagnosed as gifted at a young age, I've grown up fighting the tendencies in myself and about of deifying intellect. I started learning calculus at twelve. Learned a years worth of geometry in six days at Duke University (summer program for gifted youth). Ttaught myself trigonometry in three and was studying partial differentials when I was fifteen. My entire life I've been in the top 2% in terms of overall intelligence and in the 99th percentile with mathematics based on standardized tests.
So what. And look what good it's done me. There is a lot more to life.
Meaning is given to activities by groups of people. Many mathematicians today seem to believe that they have meaning in their work based on the approval or disapproval of other mathematicians. But as research in "pure mathematics" continues, such opinion becomes increasingly meaningless as fewer and fewer understand what anyone is doing.
Not even mentioning the loss of support from society the opinion of which is disdained anyway by most in the ivory towers of academia. Despite the realities of who pays the bills… It's not impossible to imagine the doll someday being cut off.
But of course, there is an importance in the activity for its own sake, right? That puts mathematical work on the level with the delusions of the insane. It is important to them after all.
Back to the point of the appoval or disapproval of mathematicians themselves. What does it matter when so few have any real understanding of what any particular mathematican is talking about. Complexity is piled upon complexity. Proofs are of incredible length and everyone acts like there's a certainty there. In my opinion, that sounds like delusion.
It all comes back to a certain arrogance. As if God ordained a task so grand. But Mathematics is infinite and has real value to us based on its usefulness to and in our finite little world. At least Godel sucked some of the air out of such hubris. So many are trekking off into infinite with little understanding. Trampling in their haste over so much that is certainly of value in more limited circles. Has everything simpler really been that well explored?
Ultimately, I think that much of what we call "modern mathematics" will simply die off. Endless journals and books filled with what may as well be mindless doodling because eventually no one will ever read any of it. Until then, I do thank God that you mainly burden yourselves with such because most of it is already being ignored by the mainstream…unless it is of use to them.
Which is as it should be. "Pure mathematics" research sounds to me like just another form of social welfare. And those that hide behind the term, sound too afraid to accept the challenge of producing something of real value to either those in the present or near future.
Just some thoughts that have been percolating. Having been diagnosed as gifted at a young age, I've grown up fighting the tendencies in myself and about of deifying intellect. I started learning calculus at twelve. Learned a years worth of geometry in six days at Duke University (summer program for gifted youth). Ttaught myself trigonometry in three and was studying partial differentials when I was fifteen. My entire life I've been in the top 2% in terms of overall intelligence and in the 99th percentile with mathematics based on standardized tests.
So what. And look what good it's done me. There is a lot more to life.
# posted by James Harris @ 21:28 
