X-Message-Number: 3586
Date: 04 Jan 95 01:27:55 EST
From: Paul Wakfer <>
Subject: CRYONICS Scientific Babbling


     I am not naming any names. Let any for whom and to the degree to which
"the shoe fits, wear it". But I think that the following story is germane
to some of the postings which have appeared here recently.

     Over 25 years ago, in a previous life-time :-), when I was an
assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Toronto, I was
approached by a man who asked me to look at some mathematical papers which
he had written and tried to get published. Although having no credentials,
he seemed like an intelligent and reasonable fellow. A quick glance at his
writings showed them to be reasonably structured and legible; appearing
very much like what one would see in a mathematical journal. Being without
a PhD myself, I was not one to stand on credentials and was well aware of
the problems that a non-member of the mathematics research establishment
might have getting work published. I therefore agreed to have a look at
them.
     What I found was, to me then, quite astonishing. On the surface, and
in quite some detail, the work LOOKED like mathematics. I believe that most
intelligent people, even academics in the arts and non-mathematically
oriented sciences would not be able to tell the difference between his
papers and most of those published in standard mathematical journals of the
day. However, this man's "mathematical" papers were actually nothing but a
meaningless juxtaposition and intermingling of the symbols and words of
mathematics.
     Because such a possibility was completely unknown (even unthinkable)
to me at the time, I looked long and hard through the papers for some shred
of real mathematics. I even had several discussions with the man and tried
to explain to him about what I had found (actually, not found). Eventually,
I was forced to give up, to abandon him, and to accept the saddest fact of
all. This man truly believed that he was doing mathematics and that his
papers were just as important and beautiful as any being published in the
mathematical journals. And, therefore, he also truly believed that he was
being persecuted because of their refusal to publish his work.

-- Paul Wakfer --

PS. Hey, I just realized that this man may have been SAVED by INTERNET.
    He may now be publishing without hinderance on SCI.MATH.

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