«The prize has met with mixed feelings from other mathematicians. One prominent British researcher, who asked not to be named because he was sharing a personal view, said: I find it interesting that they think its possible to make rock stars out of people who do something that 99% of the population have no hope of understanding, and I include most professional mathematicians in that. I cant understand what half my colleagues are doing. I could get there, more or less, with some work, but its technical, esoteric stuff. It can have huge ramifications through the world, though, they are right about that. Another British mathematician who asked not to be named said the prizes were generous, but poorly-targeted. I dont know if they do much to encourage people to do mathematics, or to do any better mathematics than they do already. If you want to put money into maths to make a difference, spend it in the developing world. Spend it on scholarships for students in Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, where there are real challenges.»
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 12:06:08 +0000