most recent 30 from http://mathoverflow.net 2013-06-18T22:27:16Z http://mathoverflow.net/feeds/user/27954 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://mathoverflow.net/questions/111724/who-wrote-up-banachs-thesis/111876#111876 Bok 2012-11-09T09:13:45Z 2012-11-09T09:13:45Z

<p>I think this question is very subjective, speculative and gossipy, and I am surprised that it has not yet been criticized as not suitable for MO. Unlike in mathematics, in history it is often enough to raise an unsubstantiated question in order to influence people's beliefs. It is very easy to spread rumours in history, and it is therefore important to provide good evidence for any suggestion that has to do with a historical fact.</p> <p>What evidence do you have that Banach did not write his thesis, and what makes you think that the word 'lazy' is appropriate here? Would you call Hardy lazy because he only worked a couple of hours a day and spent the rest of his days reading about cricket? Would you call Grothendieck lazy because he did not write up his proof of Grothendieck-Riemann-Roch? Certainly not, because these people, just like Banach, were very prolific and influential mathematicians.</p> <p>In a similar way, Rota's description of Ulam is historically unhelpful, and only illustrates the fact that Rota sometimes described people in rather arrogant terms (as he also did with Artin in Indiscrete Thoughts).</p> <p>Please let us stick to the facts and not make MO a forum for speculative historical anecdotes. </p>