Re: Publication not so important in mathematics

From: Michael J Hardy (mjhardy_at_mit.edu)
Date: 03/18/05 

Date: 18 Mar 2005 01:48:12 GMT

jstevh@msn.com wrote:

> Those people who believe he proved Fermat's Last Theorem, probably
> believe that the publication process has something to do with that
> belief.
>
> Math people might disagree, claiming that all that scrutiny from around
> the world is really what it's about, as if he were wrong *someone*
> somewhere in the world would speak up and holler about the error.
>
> I say they wouldn't necessarily, as the system is broken.

With most publications, an error might escape notice for a
long time, maybe even if it was fatal to the idea of the paper.
But in Wiles, case, such a huge number of mathematicians took
such great interest in understanding it that I suspect if there
were a serious error, someone would have said something.

> Now for those of you who are still wondering, the issue here is that
> math folks have basically been admitting that they don't necessarily
> count publication of a paper in math journal for much, with the poster
> I'm replying to claiming that the purpose of publication is not to show
> correctness, but to get people acquainted with the material, and to
> help academics build up their publications, basically for their
> careers.
>
> My point is that for some of you that might be a surprise.

Maybe to _you_ that's a surpise. But I'd have thought common
sense alone would suggest that the main purpose of publication
is to make the ideas in a paper known to whoever is interested.

-- Mike Hardy

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