Re:The Legend of von Neumann [pdf]
by tbagman on Friday October 02, 2026 @11:14AM
(#49934428)
This seems relevant to the current debate on the role of AI in mathematics:
What made von Neumann great? Was it the extraordinary rapidity with which
he could understand and think and the unusual memory that retained everything
he had once thought through? No. These qualities, however impressive they might
have been, are ephemeral; they will have no more effect on the mathematics and the
mathematicians of the future than the prowess of an athlete of a hundred years ago
has on the sport of today.
Re:The Legend of von Neumann [pdf]
by iaad on Friday October 02, 2026 @12:20PM
(#49935297)
They're making a comparison to AI, because it has similar qualities (rapid understanding and "perfect" memory). Will AI also be ephemeral or having a lasting impact on mathematics like von Neumann.
What made von Neumann great? Was it the extraordinary rapidity with which he could understand and think and the unusual memory that retained everything he had once thought through? No. These qualities, however impressive they might have been, are ephemeral; they will have no more effect on the mathematics and the mathematicians of the future than the prowess of an athlete of a hundred years ago has on the sport of today.