Timeline for How professional mathematicians deal with discouragement?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
16 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2021 at 7:24 | comment | added | მამუკა ჯიბლაძე | @erz No matter whether you are rich or poor, it is by definition impossible to simultaneously do two things that contradict each other. For Perelman, I strongly suspect that he continues to work quite intensely. As well as for Ramanujan, I strongly suspect that if Hardy would just throw out his first letter, he would continue to work as intensely as before (and maybe live much longer and do much more). | |
| Apr 6, 2021 at 19:45 | comment | added | erz | @მამუკაჯიბლაძე but then i don't understand your point. Mine is that it can be simultaneously impossible to leave and to stay, and not clear what to do with this contradiction. If one is very rich, then this contradiction does not come up. There is also Perelman's way, but it does not apply to lower-mid-tier mathematicians | |
| Apr 6, 2021 at 19:22 | comment | added | მამუკა ჯიბლაძე | @erz I just gave an example; there surely are examples of opposite nature, and many in between. | |
| Apr 6, 2021 at 19:19 | comment | added | erz | @მამუკაჯიბლაძე but that's the thing: very rich people with lots of free time can afford that | |
| Apr 6, 2021 at 19:17 | comment | added | erz | @S.Carnahan i think my comment was misunderstood: I was referring to the case when a mathematician is of the first type, but it is impossible for them to carry on, due to career reasons. I guess "career reasons" is the misleading bit: by this i mean lack of a job or a constant fear of not having a job | |
| Apr 6, 2021 at 17:20 | history | made wiki | Post Made Community Wiki by S. Carnahan♦ | ||
| Apr 6, 2021 at 17:20 | comment | added | S. Carnahan♦ | @erz In contrast to მამუკა ჯიბლაძე's comment, I don't think it is necessary to leave mathematics if you have career-related doubts. Some people see mathematics as a "this is absolutely my life's path", others see it as "just a job", and I think both types, and many others, should be welcomed. If circumstances make it too difficult to continue for now, we as a community should try our best to leave doors open for your possible return. | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 7:20 | comment | added | მამუკა ჯიბლაძე | @erz If this question occurs to you at all, you should leave immediately. Most of those which continue, they do it because they cannot quit no matter what. This also includes, for example, some very rich people with lots of free time. | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 6:11 | comment | added | Hailong Dao | @erz: yes, unfortunately there are still too many talented people who have had to leave research math because getting a decent professional position is not possible. I know quite a few of them. Which is why I think the "survivors" should feel very lucky indeed. On the other hand most of them land on their feet and get very decent work in industry which may still utilize the math skills they have. | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 5:52 | comment | added | erz | it's not about being rich, my point is that if your basic needs are met it is not hard to deal with discouragement of not proving the theorem you were aiming at; it's a different thing when every day you don't know if you should continue the struggle or leave mathematics altogether (due to purely career reasons) | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 5:44 | comment | added | Hailong Dao | @erz: sure, mathematicians are not rich. But even graduate students and researchers from many traditionally poor countries can at least support themselves nowadays. How many people can do that 100 years ago? | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 5:39 | comment | added | erz | what if you don't / barely make a living? | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 4:59 | comment | added | Alexander Campbell | But I’m a teetotaller! | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 4:58 | comment | added | Alec Rhea | Very well put, I'm still smiling writing this comment. +1 | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 4:39 | comment | added | Nik Weaver | I wish I could upvote this twice! | |
| Apr 5, 2021 at 3:55 | history | answered | Hailong Dao | CC BY-SA 4.0 |