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No Country for Mediocre Mathematicians

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White lies of AI from a struggling geometer

Lying is a core part of communicating mathematics. We lie to kindergarteners when explaining fractions. We lie to fourth graders when approaching limits. We lie to the NSF whenever they question if our work is important. And, I lie to anyone who asks me why I’m a mathematician. It is much easier to claim “I love learning the laws of life,” while literally handwaving, than it is for me to flashback to the twenty or so pivotal moments that lead to me walking out of Gainesville with a PhD in Arithmetic Geometry. Unfortunately, career choice happens to be the prototypical conversation starter,…

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