Rethinking Mathematical Value in the Age of AI with Ravi Vakil
In this conversation, Ravi Vakil discusses the beauty of mathematics, the impact of AI on the field, and the importance of human interaction in mathematical education. He emphasizes the social nature of mathematics and the potential dangers of AI-generated content flooding the mathematical community. The discussion also touches on the future of education, the role of leadership in mathematics, and the balance between mathematics and other disciplines. Throughout, Vakil encourages aspiring mathematicians to embrace the beauty and interconnectedness of the subject.
About the Guest
Ravi Vakil
Ravi Vakil received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto in 1992 and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1997, and taught at Princeton and MIT before moving to Stanford in 2001. He is the Robert Grimmett Professor of Mathematics at Stanford, and the President of the American Mathematical Society. He is an algebraic geometer, whose work touches on topology, string theory, applied mathematics, combinatorics, number theory, and more.
His research awards include the Centennial Fellowship from the American Mathematical Society, the Coxeter-James Prize from the Canadian Mathematical Society, a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. He is series editor of Springer's Graduate Texts in Mathematics series. He also has received the Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching and was the Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education.
He co-founded the web resource MathOverflow and the San Francisco educational institution Proof School, which serves grades 6–12. He remains on the boards of both. He also is on the board of the nonprofit National Math Stars, which has just launched with 16.5 million dollars of initial funding and aims to ensure mathematically extraordinary students from all communities have the resources they need to reach the frontiers of math and science.
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