Friday, June 11, 2010
JSH: When your math is wrong
The real underlying problem is that years ago I found a foundational error in number theory. So to number theorists thoroughly trained in error there may be a sense that there is no upside in the truth!!!
And you know? From their perspective maybe mathematics betrayed them. How many "learning experiences" do they have? With homework and tests, along with years of "research", long nights? Long discussions with other mathematicians?
Only to find there is mathematics that says that was all junk?
I still can't get over the mathematicians who have simply left the country on sabbatical when confronted with my math. It's like they just have to get away from a while, but they DO come back, and apparently just go back to the familiar. Back to error.
I've speculated that the math error actually selects out certain types of people who tolerate error—despite their denial. As it seems reasonable that people with a mathematical intuition that sensed something was wrong, might go to another field or focus on applied mathematics exclusively—thereby avoiding the error.
IF that speculation is correct, then the people who gained prominence in number theory, paradoxically, are the WORST math people, possibly worse than the average, as they were instead ATTRACTED to error, and found success with it.
To such people mathematical truth may seem to now be the enemy. Having broken brains anyway, they can easily ignore even dramatic evidence proving they are wrong, and just keep doing what they are doing!!!
An intractable situation which has gone on for years now. These people destroyed an entire mathematical journal to protect their error.
Living in error IS their way of life.
And you know? From their perspective maybe mathematics betrayed them. How many "learning experiences" do they have? With homework and tests, along with years of "research", long nights? Long discussions with other mathematicians?
Only to find there is mathematics that says that was all junk?
I still can't get over the mathematicians who have simply left the country on sabbatical when confronted with my math. It's like they just have to get away from a while, but they DO come back, and apparently just go back to the familiar. Back to error.
I've speculated that the math error actually selects out certain types of people who tolerate error—despite their denial. As it seems reasonable that people with a mathematical intuition that sensed something was wrong, might go to another field or focus on applied mathematics exclusively—thereby avoiding the error.
IF that speculation is correct, then the people who gained prominence in number theory, paradoxically, are the WORST math people, possibly worse than the average, as they were instead ATTRACTED to error, and found success with it.
To such people mathematical truth may seem to now be the enemy. Having broken brains anyway, they can easily ignore even dramatic evidence proving they are wrong, and just keep doing what they are doing!!!
An intractable situation which has gone on for years now. These people destroyed an entire mathematical journal to protect their error.
Living in error IS their way of life.
# posted by James Harris @ 19:51 
