Mathematics is not redundant

This is an extremely bad decision and the entire mathematics community should act collectively and forcefully to oppose it.

Mathematics is one of the foundations of civilization, and of understanding reality itself. The University of Leicester would be dimmer if it did not understand and place importance on the magic of mathematics.

The late Chancellor of the University of Leicester and esteemed pure mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah, whose work provided "valuable tools for problem solving in mathematics, theoretical physics and particle physics" per the University of Leicester's own obituary, would be turning in his grave that this is even being considered. Research in pure mathematics provides the tools and expertise necessary to fundamental research in other areas and frequently involves close collaboration with applied mathematics, physics, and computer science. It is an integral part of any leading STEM research institution.

Where do you think applied mathematics (on which most of science, engineering, finance, etc. rely) comes from? You can’t be serious.

A terrible decision that will destroy Leicester's excellent reputation.

Pure mathematics forms an integral part of the academic ecosystem of any research university. No university can claim to be pursuing excellence whilst actively stifiling basic research in any field, and in particular pure mathematics.

Stand for pure mathematics

Fundamental research is the basis of all knowledge, and should be protected at all costs.

A university without pure mathematics is not a university worthy of respect.

I work in finance and I gained immeasurable knowledge from pure mathematics. In many cases, the theoretical knowledge tempered the practical and served as a regulating force on bad ideas. The contributions of pure mathematics whether it be elliptic curves or type theory have contributed immeasurably to the practical world.

Pure math is quite literally the underpinning of everything the university claims to be interested in

I stand for pure math.

University of South Florida Tampa Florida, United States.

Good luck!

Pure mathematics is at the heart of all mathematics and all science. A university without pure mathematics lacks any credibility. Why the senior leadership at Leicester would propose to mutilate the institution in this way is beyond comprehension.

It's hard for me to imagine that abandoning a research program in pure mathematics can benefit the University's plan to pursue high level research in areas of computer science; sophisticated mathematics is central to these subjects.

Seems very shortsighted

This is a devastatingly ridiculous proposal. Not only does this personally affect myself, being a PhD student in Pure Mathematics at Leicester, but is also self-evidently detrimental to the university as a whole. There is nothing that can convince me that this is a positive move for the university or anyone affiliated with it.

Mathematicians build and destroy universes in their heads. They navigate harsh alien landscapes, speak in harsh alien tongues. Mathematicians slash through nonsense, reach the solid truth, and then wring every last secret insight out of it. You cannot predict them or protect against them, because their weapons are infinitely adaptable. They attack abstractions for the sheer bloody thrill, systematically checking every possible weak point. They will stare at you and Know. And that's when they are tame and salaried! Consider how much more dangerous a mathematician is to society when released into the wild. Which should your institution fear most: a slightly inconvenient profit margin, or a gang of vengeful mathematicians with nothing left to lose?

No progress in AI can be made without pure mathematics research.