6 ms·

I mean, was the point of math ever just because some humans enjoyed doing it? Even though a lot of it is theoretical, there's been all sorts of useful things th

by saghm 5d ago

I mean, was the point of math ever just because some humans enjoyed doing it? Even though a lot of it is theoretical, there's been all sorts of useful things that have come out of it as well due to an improved understanding of the universe through new ways of thinking about it. If it got to the point where no human could understand it and there were no ways to actually use it, I don't think anyone would bother having their computers doing it at all.

lacunary 5d ago
wouldn't AI solving problems in science, engineering, economics, etc be able to apply the new AI math?
- saghm 5d ago
  Yeah, that's kind of my point. I would have to imagine that the people investing in AI doing math (using "investing" loosely, not just financial but hardware/energy/opportunity cost as well, which may or may not seem roughly equivalent to money depending on your viewpoint) would just stop unless it remained possible to apply in some way or was understandable by humans.
tomrod 5d ago
> was the point of math ever just because some humans enjoyed doing it? Yes. Friends and I often work on Putnam problems and this series: The (Almost) Impossible Integrals, Sums, and Series by Cornel Ioan Vălean
- eru 5d ago
  You can enjoy math, but that was never the only reason people in general did math. (It was the only reason for some people, sure.)
  - tomrod 5d ago
    Your claim confuses me. This history of math is replete with people doing it for the love of the game.
    - eru 5d ago
      As I said, these people exist. And math is fun! But it's far from the only reason people in general do and have done math.
- saghm 5d ago
  What would stop you from doing that if AI happened to be doing a bunch of different or more advanced stuff? I assume that the fact that there are humans doing other or more advanced stuff doesn't dissuade you from doing it for fun?

6 ms·

I mean, was the point of math ever just because some humans enjoyed doing it? Even though a lot of it is theoretical, there's been all sorts of useful things th

by saghm 5d ago

lacunary 5d ago
wouldn't AI solving problems in science, engineering, economics, etc be able to apply the new AI math?
- saghm 5d ago
  Yeah, that's kind of my point. I would have to imagine that the people investing in AI doing math (using "investing" loosely, not just financial but hardware/energy/opportunity cost as well, which may or may not seem roughly equivalent to money depending on your viewpoint) would just stop unless it remained possible to apply in some way or was understandable by humans.
tomrod 5d ago
> was the point of math ever just because some humans enjoyed doing it? Yes. Friends and I often work on Putnam problems and this series: The (Almost) Impossible Integrals, Sums, and Series by Cornel Ioan Vălean
- eru 5d ago
  You can enjoy math, but that was never the only reason people in general did math. (It was the only reason for some people, sure.)
  - tomrod 5d ago
    Your claim confuses me. This history of math is replete with people doing it for the love of the game.
    - eru 5d ago
      As I said, these people exist. And math is fun! But it's far from the only reason people in general do and have done math.
- saghm 5d ago
  What would stop you from doing that if AI happened to be doing a bunch of different or more advanced stuff? I assume that the fact that there are humans doing other or more advanced stuff doesn't dissuade you from doing it for fun?