Letters from the June 26, 2004, issue of Science News
By Science News
Theory and practice
Like physicists, mathematicians have always been divided into theorists and experimentalists (“Math Lab: Computer experiments are transforming mathematics,” SN: 4/24/04, p. 266: Math Lab). And, as with the physicists, the two groups of mathematicians have not gotten along very well. Still, in physics, there has always been an understanding that both groups are necessary, whereas during the past century or so, it has been possible to pretend that theorists are the only “real” mathematicians. I think this is a shame, and I hope both groups will try harder to get along.