Losing your researchers in pure mathematics may free up a small amount of money to be redirected toward other areas of science that are currently in fashion. However, this action would completely undermine your ability to provide adequate training to students, not only in mathematics, but in related areas, including the "sexy" topics that you seem preoccupied with at the moment (AI, etc). Students choosing to attend Leicester for any undergraduate course in science will be making a poor choice, and this will reflect poorly on you in the long run. Do not compromise the foundation of all science based on a "strategic" choice to chase the flavour of the month.
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Brandon Marken
5 years ago
As a computer scientist I'm concerned by this development. Pure mathematics underpins advances in all of the scientists including AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science
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Johannes Zimmer
5 years ago
Mathematics thrives best as unity - already the distinction between pure and applied is deeply unhelpful. Yet, if one uses this terminology, then both pure and applied mathematics are vital and vibrant disciplines in their own right, and their cross-fertilisation is essential, also for applications to other disciplines. "Pure" methods can be fundamental for applications, with encryption being an everyday example. Pure mathematics is likely to play an important role in data science.
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GODEFROY Gilles
5 years ago
International solidarity between mathematicians is crucial, now more than ever.
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Dusko Pavlovic
5 years ago
The reasoning that the future of data science and AI is advanced by removing mathematics has already entered history, by having been stated. No one has understood the essence of science better since Monty Python's Flying Administrative Circus.
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Kit Nair
5 years ago
All the Univ of Leicester, academics have my full support.
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Yuning Feng
5 years ago
As a PhD student in the research of programming languages, I need to use quite some amount of category theory, a very abstract part of pure mathematics, which the math department of Leicester university is particularly strong at. Locating in Birmingham, I have been largely benefited from the pure mathematics department of Leicester university, either by going there or attending academic activities that the department helps in organising elsewhere. The rapid development of AI and digitalisation drives a new wave of programming language research, which will demand even more advanced pure mathematics. From a science point of view, it is unwise to cut pure mathematics research. Please reconsider the decision.
M
Martin Ulirsch
5 years ago
Making the positions of researchers and teachers in pure mathematics redundant is one of the most short-sighted plans I have heard about in the recent past (in which surely there is no lack of short-sighted plans). If carried out, this plan will destroy the University's reputation as a place of serious research in any field. How do you expect to hire any highly skilled data scientists, AI experts etc. if you treat your staff this way?
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Alexander Farrugia
5 years ago
If you want to strengthen AI research, you need to keep research in mathematics intact, not weaken it.
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Allan House
5 years ago
Pure mathematics is one of the fundamental disciplines underlying all science.
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Masamichi Takesaki
5 years ago
Pure math. has been the motherland of all theoretical sciences.
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Henrik Ueberschär
5 years ago
Research in Pure Mathematics is the backbone of all mathematical research. The damage to Leicester's reputation as a research-focussed university will be fatal. The university would also struggle to maintain a serious teaching profile in mathematics. I would certainly advise any student against studying at Leicester if this were to go ahead.
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Arghya Datta
5 years ago
Such act is utterly disgraceful and insult to the whole mathematical community and should be strongly condemned!
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Martin Weissman
5 years ago
As a pure mathematician, and one who is currently active in computation and data science, I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. It is terrible for the faculty who may be fired, and I think it is terrible for the students -- even those pursuing those Hot Topics. I (like thousands of other mathematicians and scientists) have seen this action by the administration of Univ. of Leicester. This is a red flag, and I would advise students and postdocs against accepting a position at an institution which acts with such disregard for mathematics and for its faculty.
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Irene Sciriha
5 years ago
How can applied mathematics, nanotechnology, statistics , actuarial science and bioinformatics survive without deep research in pure mathematics? What character would a university have without these disciplines? (Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here (this university). PLATO)
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Andras Telcs
5 years ago
Congrat to the government of the uni. They joined to the club of ant-science dictators.
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Tristan Bergh
5 years ago
As a professional data scientist running rhe data science practice at iOCO, who studied engineering, I cannot think of a more self-destructive act for data science than destroying mathematics research.
i cannot think of a more backward view of research at any organization, let alone a...wait for it...research organization.
What is this insanity?
H
Hastagiri Vanchinathan
5 years ago
By cutting down research/teaching in pure math, you are shooting yourselves in the foot.
J
Jesus Martinez Garcia
5 years ago
Employers are always seeking for recent graduates in Pure Mathematics. The actions of the University are shortsighted. Doing so right after the REF deadline has closed denotes a lack of serious approach to research planning by senior management.
Pure maths is fundamental for Computer Science
Losing your researchers in pure mathematics may free up a small amount of money to be redirected toward other areas of science that are currently in fashion. However, this action would completely undermine your ability to provide adequate training to students, not only in mathematics, but in related areas, including the "sexy" topics that you seem preoccupied with at the moment (AI, etc). Students choosing to attend Leicester for any undergraduate course in science will be making a poor choice, and this will reflect poorly on you in the long run. Do not compromise the foundation of all science based on a "strategic" choice to chase the flavour of the month.
As a computer scientist I'm concerned by this development. Pure mathematics underpins advances in all of the scientists including AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science
Mathematics thrives best as unity - already the distinction between pure and applied is deeply unhelpful. Yet, if one uses this terminology, then both pure and applied mathematics are vital and vibrant disciplines in their own right, and their cross-fertilisation is essential, also for applications to other disciplines. "Pure" methods can be fundamental for applications, with encryption being an everyday example. Pure mathematics is likely to play an important role in data science.
International solidarity between mathematicians is crucial, now more than ever.
The reasoning that the future of data science and AI is advanced by removing mathematics has already entered history, by having been stated. No one has understood the essence of science better since Monty Python's Flying Administrative Circus.
All the Univ of Leicester, academics have my full support.
As a PhD student in the research of programming languages, I need to use quite some amount of category theory, a very abstract part of pure mathematics, which the math department of Leicester university is particularly strong at. Locating in Birmingham, I have been largely benefited from the pure mathematics department of Leicester university, either by going there or attending academic activities that the department helps in organising elsewhere. The rapid development of AI and digitalisation drives a new wave of programming language research, which will demand even more advanced pure mathematics. From a science point of view, it is unwise to cut pure mathematics research. Please reconsider the decision.
Making the positions of researchers and teachers in pure mathematics redundant is one of the most short-sighted plans I have heard about in the recent past (in which surely there is no lack of short-sighted plans). If carried out, this plan will destroy the University's reputation as a place of serious research in any field. How do you expect to hire any highly skilled data scientists, AI experts etc. if you treat your staff this way?
If you want to strengthen AI research, you need to keep research in mathematics intact, not weaken it.
Pure mathematics is one of the fundamental disciplines underlying all science.
Pure math. has been the motherland of all theoretical sciences.
Research in Pure Mathematics is the backbone of all mathematical research. The damage to Leicester's reputation as a research-focussed university will be fatal. The university would also struggle to maintain a serious teaching profile in mathematics. I would certainly advise any student against studying at Leicester if this were to go ahead.
Such act is utterly disgraceful and insult to the whole mathematical community and should be strongly condemned!
As a pure mathematician, and one who is currently active in computation and data science, I think this is an absolutely terrible idea. It is terrible for the faculty who may be fired, and I think it is terrible for the students -- even those pursuing those Hot Topics. I (like thousands of other mathematicians and scientists) have seen this action by the administration of Univ. of Leicester. This is a red flag, and I would advise students and postdocs against accepting a position at an institution which acts with such disregard for mathematics and for its faculty.
How can applied mathematics, nanotechnology, statistics , actuarial science and bioinformatics survive without deep research in pure mathematics? What character would a university have without these disciplines? (Let no one ignorant of geometry enter here (this university). PLATO)
Congrat to the government of the uni. They joined to the club of ant-science dictators.
As a professional data scientist running rhe data science practice at iOCO, who studied engineering, I cannot think of a more self-destructive act for data science than destroying mathematics research. i cannot think of a more backward view of research at any organization, let alone a...wait for it...research organization. What is this insanity?
By cutting down research/teaching in pure math, you are shooting yourselves in the foot.
Employers are always seeking for recent graduates in Pure Mathematics. The actions of the University are shortsighted. Doing so right after the REF deadline has closed denotes a lack of serious approach to research planning by senior management.