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Abstract_Logic
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19 Jul 2009, 2:35 pm

Answer the follow questions in your responses:

1) Do you/do you want to have a career in mathematics? If yes, what is your desired career?
2) What are your favorite subjects/topics of mathematics?
3) Who are some of your favorite mathematicians?
4) What is it about mathematics that intrigues you the most?



ruveyn
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19 Jul 2009, 7:37 pm

Abstract_Logic wrote:
Answer the follow questions in your responses:

1) Do you/do you want to have a career in mathematics? If yes, what is your desired career?
2) What are your favorite subjects/topics of mathematics?
3) Who are some of your favorite mathematicians?
4) What is it about mathematics that intrigues you the most?


The answers to these questions are largely subjective.

When I was younger I loved working in mathematical logic and theory of computability. Later on I took a liking geometry related mathematics. I like the theory of differentiable manifolds and the related topology. These mathematical subjects are very importing to the outer leading edge of theoretical physics, particularly things related to the General Theory of Relativity.

For some mathematicians number theory is the closest thing to Heaven. Number theory, in a sense, is the purest of pure mathematics although in recent decades it has become very important in the theory of codes and cyphers.

ruveyn



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20 Jul 2009, 1:26 am

My answers:

1) I do freelance technical translation of research papers, often involving higher maths. And I code sometimes. More code with more math would be great.
2) Combinatorics, probability theory, number theory
3) Turing, Von Neuman, Euler
4) P = NP? Is human cognition computable/algorithmic? Finding math in everyday places, from the parking lot at a grocery store (probability and graph theory) to looking for a new place to live (minmax and optimization).

Separately, just started reading a book on number theory and RSA. Not my usual thing, but number theory has a fundamental appeal, even if it's an area I don't know much about.