Sandberg: big math problems are hard AND important—Hilbert chose well
anderssandberg · x · 2026-09-13
Sandberg dissects what makes a "big problem": not just hardness but importance via links to other problems. Collatz is likely hard without being interesting; Hilbert's and the Millennium problems were mostly well chosen. The fame of solving them is just a motivator—the problem is a beacon pointing at a valuable corner of thought-space.
Related event: After AI Solves the Math, What's Left for Humans?(20 posts)→
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