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Petra Schwer

@petraschwer.bsky.social
858 followers 474 following 316 posts

Mathematician based in Heidelberg, Germany. Making research math visible -- how we think - what we do - how math works. (she/her)

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Reposted by Petra Schwer
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 5h
Terence Tao is typically described as one of the world’s greatest living mathematicians. He is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field.
nyti.ms
Terry Tao Is on the Front Lines of the Debate Over AI and the Future of Math
The Fields Medalist Terence Tao is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field.
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
where exactly does one find the quotes? p8/9 in the 12 page paper seems to have no quotes. Also the supplementary material has many figures. I'd love to read them.
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Katie Spoon @kspoon.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
We wanted to understand why academics leave their jobs (doi.org/10.1126/scia...). We asked: “Tell us your story: what needs/needed to be different about your position?” I thought we would get a few hundred responses and I’d learn a bit more about the context of academic retention for myself.
doi.org
Gender and retention patterns among U.S. faculty
Women faculty are more likely to leave their jobs than men, most often due to workplace climate, rather than work-life balance.
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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
"Feeling devalued, both formally + informally, is the most gendered experience reported by our sample, and the only topic that grows more gendered with seniority, suggesting that the accumulation of these experiences may drive the increased rate of gendered attrition among late-career faculty."
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Katie Spoon @kspoon.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
We found that the most gendered experience wasn’t work-life balance, the focus of most retention efforts. It was feeling devalued, in formal evaluations, but particularly in everyday interactions. Unlike every other topic, the gender gap in devaluation was larger among more senior faculty.
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Dr. Johnathan Flowers, Bisexual of the Blade (Alt-text or DIE) @shengokai.blacksky.app · 15/10/2026
I think the most interesting element of this is the part about AI literacy because “AI literacy” has been a kind if rallying cry about AI in education for sometime.
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Antonio E. Porreca 🐳 @aeporreca.org · 11/10/2026
“Now is not the time to prioritize prestige or self-centered interests. […] Our focus must be foremost on protecting the next generation of mathematical learners, ensuring that they can develop their unique mathematical identities and share power in the mathematical community.”
proofsandprompts.com
Transforming Mathematics
“I believe that the development of AI tools will lead to a transformation of mathematics, both professionally and culturally. However, it will be a tragic missed opportunity if the massive shifts i…
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The code was within an epsilon of something I'd written. Close enough that I would have expected some form of acknowledgement (an informal comment in a paper would be enough, it wouldn't have to be a citation) had this been produced by the person taking inspiration from my work.
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Barbara Fantechi @barbarafantechi.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
My idea of "acceptable within maths" use is eg: translation, to English and especially from any language; reference search; coding and calculation help (AI writes code for you, you check it); handwriting to LaTeX conversion. I doubt any of these would produce a lot of spam.
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Barbara Fantechi @barbarafantechi.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
A reminder that maths papers do not go through peer review but through refereeing, a process where the entire paper is carefully checked and that typically takes months. Refereeing caught a mistake in Wiles' original proof of Fermat's last theorem. Science doesn't usually host maths papers.
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robertfathauer.bsky.social @robertfathauer.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
This is the last week to submit your art for the exhibition to be held as part of the upcoming Joint Mathematics Meetings. Take advantage of this opportunity to share your work with over 5000 attendees this January in Chicago. You’ll need to submit by the 15th at gallery.bridgesmathart.org.
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Dr. Martin Skrodzki @msmathcomp.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
A great chance to show off your #MathArt and #illustratingMath projects. Send them your finest!
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
In case you speak German and would like to learn more about Oberwolfach feel free to listen to this: pi-ist-genau-3.de/oberwolfach/
pi-ist-genau-3.de
Pi ist genau 3 - Oberwolfach
Der Irgendwas mit Mathe Podcast aus Magdeburg
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Oberwolfach! So envious :-)
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
It is interesting to see the variety of reactions. Also, the first ones there are from right after the PDFs went public. The ones added later had a little more time to process things. Some of the comments are also worthwhile reading. And, I definitely do not agree with all that's written.
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Yes, I know they are going to add more.
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Fully agree. Just being the one who presses the button and asks the right question to the latest model would take away all the fun.
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Interested in what members of the mathematical community think on the recent release of hundreds of preprints on openproblems? I recommend reading the snapshot of immediate reactions collected on proofs and prompts! proofsandprompts.com/2026/10/08/1... #math #mathAndAI #mathsky #mathematics
proofsandprompts.com
100+ reactions to 100+ solutions
“We are all grappling with the announcement of 6 October. We think that it is useful to have a snapshot of the community’s gut feeling today, and this is what you see below. We will keep it o…
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Interested in what members of the mathematical community think on the recent release of hundreds of preprints on openproblems? I recommend reading the snapshot of immediate reactions collected on proofs and prompts! proofsandprompts.com/2026/10/08/1... #math #mathAndAI #mathsky #mathematics
proofsandprompts.com
100+ reactions to 100+ solutions
“We are all grappling with the announcement of 6 October. We think that it is useful to have a snapshot of the community’s gut feeling today, and this is what you see below. We will keep it o…
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
More accurately, it’s about the future value of professional intellectual activity through the lens of unbelievably wealthy AI companies. That we are mathematicians isn’t the main point; the maths is playing a superficial role here. It’s about the future of society, and controlling the economy.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“…landing a big maths story was something that happened [rarely] – the Venn diagram of maths results that are both interesting and explainable to a general audience has a pretty narrow overlap. That all changed” with AI. Which part changed? Why? #MathSky #LLM www.newscientist.com/article/2591...
newscientist.com
Can mathematicians still refuse to use AI at this point? | New Scientist
There’s no question AI has transformed the field of mathematics in the past few months. Columnist Jacob Aron wonders if it will soon be impossible to be an AI refusenik and continue working in the fie...
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
"When I was a postdoc, I went to the library once and it felt like a traumatic experience. I decided, 'I’m never going back to the library.' There was no point." #MathSky #LLM I can't believe I just read that. I feel embarrassed. www.ams.org/journals/not...
ams.org
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This.
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Mallory Moore @sexabolition.blog · 07/10/2026
In the same way that science isn't just a bunch of facts about the universe, but developing ways of knowing and finding out about it, technology isn't just a collection of mysterious machines but a set of relationships between people and our material world.
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Gro-Tsen @gro-tsen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It used to be the case that if a mathematician A knew that a mathematician B was working on a problem P and A wanted to work on P as well, it was considered only polite to at least contact B and offer to work together, rather than trying to race to be the first to solve P. …
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Barbara Fantechi @barbarafantechi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
We will divide maths. As we already do. In 2018, a senior postdoc in mathematical physics told me he was scandalised that someone with as low numbers (papers and citations) as Scholze would be considered for a Fields medal. AI highlights preexisting issues.
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ꭓle Ormsby 𓆙 @e-infinity.space · 22/09/2026
Chaim is bringing the fire 🔥
Abstract
We provide a clearer presentation of the Chair44 monotile, a new strongly aperiodic
monotile in three-dimensional Euclidean space E3
.
With LLM tools (ChatGPT Astra), Ioannis Tsiokos recently reported the first
known strongly aperiodic monotile in three-dimensional Euclidean space E
3
, the Chair44
monotile (see Figure 3, taken from Tsiokos’ preprint [11]). Hats off to Tsiokos for this
discovery, the framework he developed, and the human inquiry that led to the Chair44
monotile.
However, the paper itself and the formalization that it claims for support are not
in a form that is readily usable to anyone who wants to understand or check it. This is
not just because of the needless length or complexity of the argument (which is indeed
overwhelming as presented), or because the formal repository is not in normal form, or
because much of the text is misleading or poorly organized, but mainly because there
is so much irrelevant puff to push through. These are hallmarks of an LLM-driven
research paper.
We must, absolutely, insist on a higher standard for scientific discourse. The aim
must be to communicate, clearly, with people in the community — certainly this is an
historical requirement for publication.1
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ftosse @ftosse.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
und dann noch die sinnvollste erklärung fürs schreiben überhaupt:
Es ist normal, dass man an vieles aus seiner Kindheit keine Erinnerung mehr hat. Jeden Tag erwacht man aufs Neue, um zu viele kleine Augenblicke zu erleben, die man vergessen wird. Der Tag liegt lang wie ein Jahr vor einem und nicht eine Sekunde davon wird am Ende übrig sein. Man muss es erzählen, damit es bleibt. Man muss erzählen, damit man weiß, was pas-siert ist, woher man kommt, wie man heißt und was man ist. Man muss erzählen, um zu verstehen, warum überall Kreuze hängen, und um zu verstehen, was in den Kisten steckt. Man muss erzählen, immer weiter-erzählen, bis der Tunnel endet.
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Dave Richeson @divbyzero.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I had a student ask the other day why we don't multiply vectors in the expected way (component-wise). So, <a,b,c>⊙<d,e,f>=<ad,be,cf>. My gut response was that we could, but it isn't as useful as the dot product or the cross product. But I decided to think about it and see if I could come up with 1/6
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Jacob Joaquin @jacobjoaquin.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Untitled Ink on paper, 9"x9" #p5 #plotter #mathart
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C. B. @corneliabeeking.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Ich frage mich, weshalb das nicht überall breit geteilt wird.
BOSETTI
WILL
REDENI
"Ungefähr zehn Prozent der AfD-Abgeordneten in Sachsen-Anhalt haben ein Ermittlungsverfahren gegen sich laufen oder wurden rechtskräftig verurteilt.
Zum Vergleich:
Der Anteil der Zuwanderer, die 2025 einer Straftat verdächtigt wurden, liegt bei unter fünf Prozent. Die AfD-Fraktion im neu gewählten Landtag ist krimineller als Zuwanderer."
Sarah Bosetti in "Bosetti will reden!" Ganze Folge: YouTube.com/@BosettiWillReden
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American Mathematical Society @amermathsoc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
How would you spend your 100th birthday? Esteemed mathematician Jean-Pierre Serre spent his giving a lecture at a conference celebrating his birthday and life's work on September 15, 2026. Please join the AMS in wishing Jean-Pierre Serre a wonderful 100th birthday! Read more. Link in comments.
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Just came across ahmath.org because of this post. Definitely need to look closer into this!
ahmath.org
AHM
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Read this:
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Wonderful Essay on cheating and general use of AI in a teaching/learning environment.
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Even the realisation above is partial. I don’t think OpenAI cares about a Lean certificate. That is pure spin. They are not academics. They do not share our motivations or values. They are not our friends. They are a company currently valued at $852,000,000,000.
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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 10/09/2026
> Explore your creativity[.] Mathematics is so much more than solving problems. Also, learn things deeply, do not restrict yourself to only reading what you need for your projects, get deep into theories. Read books! randominsurrection.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/h...
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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 10/09/2026
> In the same vein, relearn how to focus deeply. Spend lengthy periods in deep work, with no screens, emails, or notifications. Get off social media. Take walks, go read in the park, let your mind wander. randominsurrection.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/h...
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Petra Schwer @petraschwer.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is exactly what those companies are after: tricking everybody into the perception that 'all math is solved by AI'. Here's my reply to this. web.mathi.uni-heidelberg.de/media/Meanin...
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Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I met with my exceedingly bright summer student. The news this week about AI advances in math has scared them; they're questioning why study math. This is something I worry about. To a certain extent it doesn't matter what the abilities of AI actually are: public perception can do the most damage. 🧮
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 10/09/2026
FWIW I don’t think that AI is an existential threat, nor on track to become one. I do however think that the leaders of the biggest AI companies, AI’s strongest boosters, and some of the folks who are most adept at using it to exploit others are actively hastening along OTHER existential threats.
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Tim Hsu @timhsu.net · 08/09/2026
Really an old story in mathematics: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_n... www.math.ntnu.no/Selberg-inte... But it's definitely grosser when you do it to boost your stock valuation
math.ntnu.no
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Paysages Mathématiques @paysmaths.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
"It's fine to work on any problem, so long as it generates interesting mathematics along the way – even if you don't solve it at the end of the day." – Andrew Wiles (1953-) #quote #mathematics #math #maths
Photographic portrait of Andrew Wiles, and a quote : "It's fine to work on any problem, so long as it generates interesting mathematics along the way – even if you don't solve it at the end of the day."
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ꭓle Ormsby 𓆙 @e-infinity.space · 08/09/2026
Now ready for you to enjoy: e-infinity.space/picture-book/ #MathArt #MathSky
figure-8 immersion of the Klein bottleEnpepper minimal surfacegyroid cut by boxgenus five 'puffy cube skeleton'
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Natascha Strobl @nataschastrobl.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Was auch immer heute passiert in Sachsen-Anhalt: Bitte erstarrt politisch nicht in Furcht und verschenkt Zeit und Energie. In vielen Ländern ist man das schon durch. Und es gibt mehrere Lehren, die man ziehen kann. 1. das ist nicht das Ende. Die extreme Rechte möchte es so darstellen.
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Robert Fietzke @robertfietzke.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
15.000 Menschen heute auf dem Domplatz in #Magdeburg! Ich kann mich an keine größere Demonstration hier erinnern. Die Zivilgesellschaft in Sachsen-Anhalt ist wundervoll, was sie in den letzten Wochen und Monaten auf die Beine gestellt hat, ist nicht weniger als ein demokratischer Aufbruch ✊🏾 #md0509
Bild Richtung Bühne, davor Tausende Menschen, im Hintergrund sieht man den Landtag.Bild von der Bühne in Richtung Magdeburger Dom.Die Demonstration des Bündnisses "Sachsen-Anhalt weltoffen" kommt auf dem Domplatz an.Kurzes Grußwort aus dem Harz zu Beginn des Demokratie-Festivals.
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Omas* gegen Rechts Leipzig 🌈🦄🏳️‍🌈 @omasgegenrechtsle.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Beste Stimmung auf dem Domplatz in #Magdebug. Tausende Menschen von jung bis alt, Familien mit Kindern, migrantische MitbürgerInnen haben sich versammelt, um Gesicht zu zeigen für die Demokratie in ihrem Bundesland, in dem morgen gewählt wird. #gehtwaehlen #waehltdemokratisch
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ENDSTATION RECHTS. @endstationrechts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Deutlich über 10.000 Teilnehmende demonstrieren aktuell unter dem Motto „Sachsen-Anhalt weltoffen“ durch Magdeburg zum Dom und Landtag. Morgen wählt das Bundesland ein neues Parlament.
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Pascal Begrich @pbegrich.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
ist erschöpft aber glücklich. Was für ein Fest für die Demokratie. Am Tag vor der Landtagswahl zeigten 15-20.000 Menschen in Magdeburg Gesicht für ein weltoffenes Sachsen-Anhalt.
Menschenmassen vor einer großen Kirche.
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