Wow, you accuse Wolfram of abusing people while calling me an idiot. Ad hominem insults and attacks on a sincere comment don’t add to your credibility. Did you just create this anonymous login to call people names online?

I just gave him as an example of a top programmer who has an academic math background.

Wolfram’s credentials are easy to find. I don’t suppose you get named as a Fellow in the American Mathematical Society if you aren’t something of a credible mathematician. The guy invented and wrote Mathematica for f’s sake.

academic math background? this guy has no formal academic mathematics math background. do your own diligence before you open your mouth.

AMS fellowship is case specific. think: free mathematica copies supplied, some anonymous donations. He is no credible mathematician. What are you doing about? ad hominem attacks? go to Taleb to learn about real ad hominem attacks.

Nobody cares about formal academic background.

Ramanujan had none (and it was visible in the way he was writing proofs) so what?

Either you produce something of interest in the field or you don’t.

And Wolfram did.