🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <schumach.717961218@convex.convex.com> schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher) writes:
>In <1992Sep29.152101.12250@u.washington.edu> rons@hardy.u.washington.edu (Ronald Schoenberg) writes:
>
>>problem.  Suppose that you were untrained in mathematics or physics,
>>that one day you read somewhere that the speed of light was the same
>>in every direction, and that after some thought about it you crank out
>>the special theory of relativity.  However, you make a small error in
>>your assumptions, but your conclusions were correct anyway .  Now how
>>would you feel if the only responses to your achievement were about
>>your error?  Wouldn't you want some credit for having duplicated a
>>renowned result?  Wouldn't you think that the people who failed to
>>give you credit for you achievement and concentrated instead on your
>>error had some kind of ego problem?
>
>How much credit would be due such a person? If they proceeded from incorrect
>assumptions but arrived at a correct conclusion anyway, then they made
>errors in reasoning. Their conclusion was arrived at either by insight
>or by cribbing.
>
>

I wonder how many (male) mathematicians started thinking about a
career in mathematics when they received an enthusiastic response
after precociously solving a problem even though they made errors in
the solution?  And I wonder how many bright young women failed to pursue
careers in mathematics when similarly solving a problem were chastised
for the errors?