Post #3654261
2026-07-06 09:01 UTC
@johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz
I keep wondering.
In every field, there are early reports of astounding usefulness of LLMs.
Followed by debunkings and finally a realization that the bullshit generator can generate plausible-sounding bullshit, and that's it.
In coding, potentially the closest thing to maths in application, it shows itself as a shortcut to replace typing, but with a cost in review that outstrips the functionality entirely, ending up slower than without the tool.
In any field, the only application where there appears to be a genuine benefit (albeit partial and fallible) is as Search.
So what's up with Maths? Is it an application as Search, and somehow magically able to discern things the thing does not and cannot understand? Or is it once again overhyped bullshit?
Replies (1)
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@johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz 2026-07-06 09:06
@androcat@toot.cat - math is different from most subjects in that it doesn't need to be "about" anything: it can be a game of following rules. Treating it as a game is superficial, because that attitude can't tell the difference between important good math and silly bad math. But if you know what theorems you want to prove, something that's good at playing the game can help you. Nonmathematicians often don't realize that the hard part is figuring out what theorems are worth proving.