Academia Stack Exchange
Academia Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [mathematics]

On standards or conventions specific to mathematics as an academic discipline, and programs that lead to a degree in this field. For regular mathematics questions, visit our sister sites Math Stack Exchange and MathOverflow.

On standards or conventions specific to mathematics as an academic discipline, and programs that lead to a degree in this field.

For regular mathematics questions, visit our sister sites Math Stack Exchange and (for research-level questions) MathOverflow.

2522 questions
31
votes
5 answers

What did Israel Gelfand mean by “You have to be fast only to catch fleas,” in the context of mathematical research?

I'm confused about a statement by Israel Gelfand given in the book TOPSY TURVY: A Book for All in One Page No:155 Why did Israel Gelfand say “You have to be fast only to catch fleas,” and how does this phrase apply to researchers?
jasmine
  • 1,485
  • 13
  • 22
26
votes
1 answer

I keep forgetting what I've learned. Should I even consider pursuing advanced degree in math?

This is my first time posting here, and I'm not very sure whether I should post this in Academia or Math stackexchange. Currently I am a Mathematics/Economics major. I have been taking a lot of math courses and I really liked them. But usually after…
3x89g2
  • 597
  • 2
  • 6
  • 12
26
votes
3 answers

Should I ask for permission to name a mathematical theorem?

Suppose that two researchers, say, Y. Yubaba and Z. Zeniba have proven an original mathematical theorem that I want to use. I would like to name it the Yubaba-Zeniba theorem. Is it proper etiquette to ask for permission first to use their names in…
Ambicion
  • 5,541
  • 5
  • 31
  • 53
23
votes
5 answers

Mathematical papers and the IMRaD-structure: how comparable are they with each other?

I have a background in the social sciences, but I teach academic writing to students from various disciplines (incl. STEM). Since the IMRaD-structure seems universal, I teach them this format. While I do not always understand the content of the…
anpami
  • 8,704
  • 1
  • 20
  • 56
22
votes
4 answers

Paper in mathematics that proves a sub-optimal result

I am currently pursuing a PhD in an area of mathematical analysis. Recently I uploaded a result on arXiv where I somewhat improved a result from 40 years back in a question in smooth dynamics, a field different from my thesis subject. In my limited…
Aritro Pathak
  • 361
  • 2
  • 13
16
votes
3 answers

Why might researchers distinguish their interests between applied math and computational math?

I often see PhD students and faculty members describe their research interests on their web pages as something like: I am broadly interested in applied and computational mathematics. What is the difference between applied math and computational…
Confused Math Student
  • 181
  • 5
14
votes
5 answers

How do I get a fellow mathematician to examine my work when I have a bad standing in my home department?

I am a student of mathematics. I am greatly interested in the subject, but it seems as though my peers opine quite uniformly that I totally lack any sort of talent for it. To give you a few examples: One professor suggested in front of a tutor that…
Cloudscape
  • 264
  • 2
  • 8
12
votes
2 answers

I have a proof of a result in number theory, shorter than the existing proofs. Can such results be published and how?

Actually I'm proving that ∀n∃p∈P|n
user1582006
  • 131
  • 1
  • 5
8
votes
1 answer

What to do with a new mathematics conjecture?

I have been working on a problem (not in mathematics) for a while and at the core there is a simply stated mathematical problem which I really cannot solve. I have tried asking colleagues but they can't either. As far as I can tell it is not…
notamathmo
  • 83
  • 3
7
votes
2 answers

How to choose between multiple math postdocs offers?

I am trying to decide between some math postdoc offers, and I can't decide what is important for a postdoc position. I have talked to several senior mathematicians including my advisor, but they all seem to have different opinions. I just want to…
hithere
  • 301
  • 1
  • 4
6
votes
4 answers

Is it a bad sign if I do not get anything from problem discussions with professors or fellow students?

This is a question specifically about mathematics. All math people I've talked with like discussing problems (or math in general) with others, and most people claimed that they learned most from communication rather than from reading textbooks. My…
user69630
5
votes
1 answer

Advice for learning the original works of previous mathematicians

I recently become interested in understanding the exact works of previous mathematicians, such as Peano, Frege, Russell, Hilbert, etc. Just to be clear, I'm not interested in a shallow history of past mathematics (like for example "that person came…
Ahmed
  • 51
  • 1
5
votes
1 answer

Is it okay to reference theorem in the secondary source If I don't know where the theorem begins?

I would like to cite a theorem in my paper. It's not famous, but it is used by many people. So, I don't know who first proves the theorem. Is it okay to reference the theorem in the source that might not be the first paper to prove it?
alryosha
  • 153
  • 4
4
votes
2 answers

How do you determine if you don't have interest in research or merely don't have the discipline?

I finished my PhD in probability a few years ago and left to go work in the industry as software engineer in operating systems and databases. I sometimes ponder whether I can go back to doing research, perhaps on a part-time basis, if I somehow…
Shuheng Zheng
  • 629
  • 5
  • 5
3
votes
2 answers

Which math departments in the U.S. have people known for their contributions to Lie-admissible algebras?

Which math departments in the U.S. have people known for their contributions to Lie-admissible algebras? (I asked this question on Math SE, but it was voted off-topic there. I hope it's not too specialized of a question here.)
Geremia
  • 3,535
  • 5
  • 24
  • 39
1
2 3