Timeline for How do you decide whether a question in abstract algebra is worth studying?
Current License: CC BY-SA 2.5
4 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2010 at 12:38 | comment | added | Alex B. | Dear David, for the time being, I am more concerned about strategically prioritising different possible projects to advance my carreer than about the inner workings of the mathematical community. But the question addresses the broader issue of what we, the mathematicians, consider interesting to work on or to learn about. I hope (perhaps somewhat naively) that the two questions are very closely related. At any rate, my question is about the status quo, rather than about how people believe the world should work. | |
| Sep 24, 2010 at 11:01 | comment | added | David Corfield | There are different kinds of 'should': How should a mathematician act to get on individually, given how things are?; How should a mathematician act in the best interests of mathematics?; How should the mathematical community act in the best interests of mathematics?, etc. Are you wondering how should a young mathematician act strategically to get noticed, or how should the community organize itself to promote new lines of thought? | |
| Sep 24, 2010 at 9:31 | comment | added | Alex B. | I see what you are saying. I guess my question is then, what should happen first: should potential applications force the concept upon you or do you first introduce a concept and then let it find its place in an array of good stylines? Does the latter scenario work at all? For example, if people know that the more limited concept has its uses and you introduce the generalisation, they might actually start specifically looking for applications of the new thing. But will they? Or will the burden of proof of concept rest with the one introducing the generalisation? | |
| Sep 24, 2010 at 9:17 | history | answered | David Corfield | CC BY-SA 2.5 |