Re: What math class to take to catch up on Modulus and DLP?

From: Douglas A. Gwyn (DAGwyn_at_null.net)
Date: 09/08/03 

Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2003 23:48:35 -0400

Tom St Denis wrote:
> I would disagree with a). To no offense to Alice Silverberg [who I use
> as an example because I recently talked with her]. As I understand
> she's holds a PhD in Math. However, when I asked her to help dumb
> CEILIDH down a bit so I could implement it she basically told me it
> wasn't worth her time. So being "well rounded" is not something I would
> attribute from what I've seen [that being said maybe she was just
> genuinely busy]. So it's entirely possible to go the academic route and
> still close your mind to the world around you.

I would suggest that unless you have evidence that she is
lying, you should take her at her word. Everybody has
priorities, and her list almost certainly doesn't have
helping TStD write code anywhere near the top. Generally
speaking, innovators best use their time coming up with
new innovations, not interpreting their past work for others.
Sometimes there are "popularizers" who do the latter,
sometimes not; that can certainly have an effect on the
impact that an innovation makes on the work of others.

> ... To just denounce self-taught individuals is
> very ignorant and highly arrogant.

I didn't see anybody doing that.
It may be that *you* were being "denounced" to some extent,
but if so, it wasn't because you are self-taught.