alt Hacker NewsI'm also a physicist. But I think the next 5 years are going to be a rough ride for math. I'm struck by the following observation, mainly from following HN links to Terrence Tao's blogs.
Novel proofs are the coin of the realm for junior mathematicians. They figure into training, career advancement, and indirectly, teaching. The reason I include teaching is because it requires tenure, which requires proofs. Teaching without tenure is gig work, not a career. But proofs can be devalued to zero.
The application deadline for grad school is a few months away. For a student considering a math career, they have to deliver a thesis in a few years, that their professor is willing to sign. Nobody knows what that will look like without proofs. "We will have to do something different" is weak sauce.
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I'm curious about your perspective on the impact of LLMs on physics.
My impression is that (theoretical?) physics is increasingly becoming a branch of abstract math. It has somewhat reached a practical limit for experimental verification -- perhaps the last landmark result was the confirmation of the Higgs boson 15 years ago?
So I see no reason LLMs cannot crank out a lot of theoretical physics papers, maybe combining forgotten/obscure theoretical branches explored in the past. After all, the most advanced theoretical physics is about internal consistency just as pure math is.
Id like to help. I have something, i think, could interest you. Might have to think a bit outsude the box a different way but its part of the complex dodecagram, Einstein Nikola tesla, (skcolc cimsoc)
Do you mean without proofs as a what assigns value to the thesis? I think AI doesn't make them optional at all.
> Teaching without tenure is gig work, not a career.
Teaching without tenure is... teaching. Secondary school teachers don't have tenure. I find it hard to describe secondary school teaching as gig work.
I’m also a physicist, and I do worry about physics. I’ve already had a few successful sessions with Claude and Astra where they came up with useful ideas in my field. I still know what to ask for and nudge them where it matters, but I fear it’s going to be a few short months before they can decide that too, unassisted.