Mathematicians just solved a 125-year-old problem, uniting 3 theories in physics (scientificamerican.com)

77 points by mikhael 6 hours ago

7 comments:

by dako2117 4 hours ago
by JohnKemeny 2 hours ago
by paulpauper 3 hours ago

It's interesting how so many important papers are always on arxiv first. it makes me wonder what purpose peer reviews serves. I think also, this is to help establish priority over the result. So getting it up on arxiv is like a timestamp to avoid someone else deriving it at the same time and getting credit by having it published first.

by pepinator 3 hours ago

Peer review is important for checking the correctness of the results, among other things. It's not uncommon to find big errors; small mistakes are everywhere.

by trod1234 2 hours ago

Its easier to tear down than build up. Resilient structures are tested structures and last the longest.

by lokimedes 2 hours ago

The purpose of the (pre-print) arChive is to allow for a wider circulation during review. That many today simply leave their stuff on Arxiv without publishing is arguably a bit of “cargoculting”, as it signals legitimacy without any quality control.

by SpaceManNabs 3 hours ago

The article does a wonderful job in providing context for the proof.

I really enjoyed the clear descriptions of the three scales.

Data from: Hacker News, provided by Hacker News (unofficial) API