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HOW to BECOME a GOOD THEORETICAL PHYSICIST by Gerard 't Hooft (Nobel Prize Winner)

Is there similar "How to become a good mathematician by __"?

Humble Suggestion : Why not build it here?

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    $\begingroup$ I don't think that this is an appropriate question for this site as it is not focussed on an answerable question about research-level mathematics. $\endgroup$
    – Andrew Stacey
    Commented Jun 3, 2010 at 21:55
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    $\begingroup$ My initial response to this question was also slightly negative. But upon inspection, that page by 't Hooft turns out to be rather interesting, even though certain sentiments are expressed a bit too strongly for my taste. The question of designing a similar guide to mathematics is not entirely uninteresting either. Being unable to call myself a 'good' mathematician, I don't think I'll attempt it myself. $\endgroup$
    – Minhyong Kim
    Commented Jun 3, 2010 at 23:08
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    $\begingroup$ Andrew -- did you take a look at 't Hooft's page? He doesn't give any nonsense advice on doing good physics and repeating it but instead gives a rather detailed curriculum together with a list of books to read with indications on pros and cons of any particular book. I think it may be interesting to try and do the same for mathematics. Chances are there will be less agreement among mathematicians on what exactly goes into such curriculum than among the physicists, and there will be several alternative versions, but in my opinion this would make sense nonetheless. $\endgroup$
    – algori
    Commented Jun 3, 2010 at 23:14
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    $\begingroup$ Closed, c.f. Andrew's comment. $\endgroup$
    – Kim Morrison
    Commented Jun 3, 2010 at 23:59
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    $\begingroup$ And the Powers-That-Be at the top slices the roots off another potentially good posting.Sigh. $\endgroup$
    – The Mathemagician
    Commented Jun 4, 2010 at 2:49

3 Answers 3

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While you are young, do your best to find out the most important mathematical subjects you may be capable of learning reasonably well, and learn them, and as many of them as possible.

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    $\begingroup$ The way I would put this is: Learn everything you can, whether you think you're good or interested at it, but stay focused on where your interests and strengths lie. I know that this is contradictory, but I don't know of any logically consistent advice that I can offer. $\endgroup$
    – Deane Yang
    Commented Jun 3, 2010 at 22:14
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There is: How to Solve it, by George Polya (reprinted by Princeton University Press, 2004).

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Do good maths. Repeat.

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