Mathematica is a great tool for math hackers. The only problem is that these kinds of problems are addictive, and take time away from what I "should" be doing.
But often I learn something by allowing myself to play "just a little..."
Euler's hypothesis was disproved in 1987 by a Harvard graduate student named Noam Elkies.
And partially as a result, Noam ended up one of the youngest ever tenured professors at Harvard (at the age of 26).
I met Noam when hanging out with guys from the Harvard Glee Club, which Noam accompanies on piano.
Reading Noam's CV (http://www.math.harvard.edu/~elkies/math_cv.html) was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 13.7 ms ] threadBut often I learn something by allowing myself to play "just a little..."
ie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_coloring_conjecture
was just recently solved.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=142085
And partially as a result, Noam ended up one of the youngest ever tenured professors at Harvard (at the age of 26).
I met Noam when hanging out with guys from the Harvard Glee Club, which Noam accompanies on piano. Reading Noam's CV (http://www.math.harvard.edu/~elkies/math_cv.html) was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had.