The seven of us will be using this blog space to share ideas, reflect, explain, question and investigate several topics of research. If you're joining us to check in on how things are progressing, then welcome! Feel free to be supportive and encouraging. Please avoid discouragement and negativity - research is challenging enough!
In the NOVA documentary The Proof, Princeton University math professor Andrew Wiles is quoted as describing mathematical research as follows:
Perhaps I could best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. One goes into the first room and it's dark, completely dark, one stumbles around bumping into the furniture and then gradually you learn where each piece of furniture is, and finally after six months or so you find the light switch, you turn it on suddenly it's all illuminated, you can see exactly where you were.
While it took Andrew Wiles seven years of isolated work in total secrecy to develop his original (and incorrect) proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, we hope to accomplish the epiphany of mathematical understanding and illumination on a much tighter time frame while working as a supportive and open mathematical community.
The 2011-2012 ARP officially ends on Thursday, May 31, when all Bard MAT candidates present the results of their research at Bard College. Two days later they'll walk across the stage at the Bard MAT graduation and closing ceremony. Actually, we really only have until the end of December 2011 to conduct mathematical research. Let's not delay any longer!
