Existence and Uniqueness: the MOCAT Book Club

Readings:

• Foreword

• 6. An Accidental Mathematician, by Jennifer Quinn

• 14. A View of Mathematics from Behind the Veil, by Robin Wilson

• 21. Struggling with the Messaging of Mathematics, by Rachel Weir

• 41. Should I Quit Mathematics?, by Francis Su

Discussion Questions:

• Did you find any inspiration or common ground in these essays?

• Are there any passages that stuck out to you?

1. How would you describe/define “mathematicians”? What words come to mind?

2. How would you describe your personal mathematical identity?

3. What could be a new definition of “mathematician”? What words would you like to come to mind?

4. What causes the differences between the answers to questions 1 and 3?

5. In the Foreword, Stephen Kennedy writes: “There are no ‘math people’, mathematical thinking is a fundamental part of every human’s intellectual capacity. The people we label ‘good at math’ are simply those who have taken the time and trouble to engage the struggle more deeply than others.” What do you think about this statement?

Readings:

Note that we begin with Part II, not Part I.

• Part II: Who Are These People? Do I Even Belong?

Discussion Questions:

• Did you find any inspiration or common ground in these essays?

• Are there any passages that stuck out to you?

1. How did you become interested in mathematics?

2. When did you first consider yourself as a mathematician?

3. How has your identity (gender, culture, etc.) influenced your mathematical life?

4. In these essays, many mathematicians discuss barriers (conscious, unconscious, systemic, etc.) that they have encountered.

   • Have you encountered barriers in your mathematical life?

   • What can be done to remove these barriers? What can you personally do?

Readings:

Note that we return to Part I this week.

• Part I: Mathematics Just Suddenly Feels Hard!

Discussion Questions:

• Did you find any inspiration or common ground in these essays?

• Are there any passages that stuck out to you?

1. What was one time that you struggled (mathematically)?

   • What was the hardest mathematics class you’ve ever taken?

   • How was your exam/prelim/qual experience?

2. Laura Taalman describes “hitting the wall” in graduate school, where “Math was easy for me, until suddenly it wasn’t.” When did you hit this wall?

   • If you hit this wall, how did you overcome it/persevere?

3. In the Foreword, Stephen Kennedy writes: “It will always be necessary for people to struggle within their own minds to master mathematics, but we need to teach our students to see, à la Laura Taalman, the power and glory of mathematical struggle... The struggle is real; it need not be damaging and hurtful.”

   • What do you think about this statement?

   • How can we teach our students to embrace productive struggle?

Readings:

• Part III: Can I Really Do This? How Do I Muster Through?

• Behind the 'Model Minority' Myth: Why the 'Studious Asian' Stereotype Hurts

• You're Asian, How Could You Fail Math? - Unmasking the myth of the model minority

• Further AAPI Solidarity Readings and Resources here.

• The Messy House That Race Made, by Soya Jung

Discussion Questions:

• Did you find any inspiration or common ground in these essays?

• Are there any passages that stuck out to you?

• In the introduction, the authors write: "When looking back, many moments in which we all struggle end up being isolated moments in time, but when we’re in those moments, it can seem like an eternity! It is hard to know deep down that it is possible to get through those moments, and sometimes the best advice any of us can give others is to talk to someone else, whether it be a family member, a trusted friend, the professor for your class or just one you’ve formed a bond with, or someone who’s been through a similar struggle in the past."

  • • Can you think of a time when you persevered? What/who motivated you to persist?

    • What support networks have you relied on in the past?

The following questions come from the Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit:

• Writing in 1974, activists Frank Chin, Shawn Wong, Lawson Inada, and Jeffery Chan declared: “Asian Americans are not one people but several.”

• In The Messy House That Race Made, Soya Jung writes: "Asian Americans are frequently confronted with nuance. We are at once racialized as terrorists, spelling bee champions, criminals, tech geniuses, master cellists, sexual fetishes, dangerous interlopers, and robotic wage slaves. We are widely cited as drivers of demographic change, but there are real divisions among us – of class, religion, immigration status, color, gender, sexuality, language, and political histories. In aggregate, we are a little bit of many things."

  • • What do these quotes mean?

    • How does this affect how Asian Americans view ourselves today?

    • How does this affect how other people view Asian Americans?

• Who/what are the benefits of the Model Minority Myth?

  • • What is the cost of believing in Model Minority?

    • Why is Model Minority stereotype harmful?

• What are some examples of ways in which Asians are pitted against other communities of color and each other?

Readings:

• Part IV: What Do I Do Now? What Happens Next?

Discussion Questions:

• Did you find any inspiration or common ground in these essays?

• Are there any passages that stuck out to you?

• Are there any (mathematical) mentorship/support organizations that you've found valuable?

• Are there any mathematical outreach organizations that you are a part of (UT or otherwise?)

• In the introduction, the editors write: "As advisors of students in college, the editors frequently come across students who ask “What can you do with a degree in mathematics?’’ This is really hard to answer, because, in a way, “anything’’ is not too far from the truth." How would you answer this question?

• Francis Su writes: "But there are many other important facets of being a scholarly mathematician: being an excellent teacher and communicator and mentor of mathematics is, I believe, equally important. In speaking with mathematicians outside the research bubble, I saw that it was possible to have a life balance that doesn’t prioritize research over all else." How have you managed your own work/life balance?

Readings:

None

Discussion Questions:

• What were your favorite essays from Living Proof?

• What stuck with you/what did you learn from reading these essays?

• If you were to write an essay for Living Proof, what would you write about?

• What would you like to read for the book club next semester?