The Should I Become a Mathematician? Thread

radou

That's true, and it's what people thing about other scientists too, not just mathematicians.

In general, I don't interact with people who believe in stereotypes.

mathwonk

the problem is that mathematicians are considered so sexy, they have to be careful when they go out, so as not to be mobbed by women and paparrazzi.

pivoxa15

There could be genuine reasons why past great mathematicians interact and socialise so much less then today's mathematicians. In the past traveling would have been expensive and time consuming and education was poor so not many people had the expertise so meeting other mathematicians were harder and not that beneficial. Knowledge didn't spread that quickly as not many were doing it so one can afford to work alone. Moreoever Copy right was a servere issue back then. So it would have been more beneficial for the best to be alone. Hence no need to develop one's social skills in order to succeed at maths.

Today things are much different as fields are more specialised so collaboration is more important and is cheaper to do due to cheap communication costs. However there are still a handful of elites who can and choose to do it alone like Perelman. For the rest its more beneficial to collaborate so more social interactions for mathematicians today.

Werg22

Well, my take is that the percentage of introverts in the mathematical community far exceeds that of the normal population since introverts tend to spend more time thinking than extroverts and thus have greater affinity for heavily abstract subject such as mathematics.

JasonRox

The most intelligent student in our math departments are introverted/extroverted or extroverted. Probably one the best things about the department. I would hate to hang out with an introvert.

JasonRox

I have no idea what you're talking about because I mentionned mathematicians of the past and today.

Perelman is not choosing to be alone. I believe he's anti-social, so that's not a choice at that point. It's a disorder.

Darkiekurdo

Do you guys have those moments where you are so demotivated you want to quit with mathematics?

JasonRox

Are you crazy?! No way!

Darkiekurdo

Never? So if you study mathematics you understand everything immediately?

Kummer

No. I am had/having a bad experience with modular forms. They are very hard for me.

mathwonk

i have been demotivated lots of times, thinking i would never grasp something, or never solve something, that i must be in the wrong business. now its more from inactivity. getting back to work after a lull is also hard but usually cures the blues now.

for modular forms, have you tried reading gunning, or serre?

Werg22

And what does you hating to hang out with an introvert have anything to do with his mathematical abilities? Aside from that, I did not exclude exceptions.

Kummer

It is just I do not have any algebraic geometry skills. It seems to me that I must learn that now, important in number theory.

mathwonk

not needed for those books is it?

http://www.amazon.com/Lectures-Modul...6446969&sr=1-1


http://www.amazon.com/Course-Arithme...447026&sr=1-12

MathematicalPhysicist

just because someone isn't sociable makes it a disorder?

jostpuur

Yes. The university business seems to be dumb and frustrating, and I don't understand why I keep aiming at getting there.

pivoxa15

Maybe because other instutitions are even more frustrating like private businesses. Moreover only an institution like a university can you do some genuine learning.