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Reaping and Sowing (Récoltes et semailles) The Life of a Mathematician: Reflections and Bearing Witness
"As I've often said, most mathematicians take refuge within a specific conceptual framework, in a "Universe" which seemingly has been fixed for all time - basically the one they encountered "ready-made" at the time when they did their studies. They may be compared to the heirs of a beautiful and capacious mansion in which all the installations and interior decorating have already been done, with its living-rooms , its kitchens, its studios, its cookery and cutlery, with everything in short, one needs to make or cook whatever one wishes. How this mansion has been constructed, laboriously over generations, and how and why this or that tool has been invented (as opposed to others which were not), why the rooms are disposed in just this fashion and not another - these are the kinds of questions which the heirs don't dream of asking . It's their "Universe", it's been given once and for all! It impresses one by virtue of its greatness, (even though one rarely makes the tour of all the rooms) yet at the same time by its familiarity, and, above all, with its immutability.
When they concern themselves with it at all, it is only to maintain or perhaps embellish their inheritance: strengthen the rickety legs of a piece of furniture, fix up the appearance of a facade, replace the parts of some instrument, even, for the more enterprising, construct, in one of its workshops, a brand new piece of furniture. Putting their heart into it, they may fabricate a beautiful object, which will serve to embellish the house still further.
Much more infrequently, one of them will dream of effecting some modification of some of the tools themselves, even, according to the demand, to the extent of making a new one. Once this is done, it is not unusual for them make all sorts of apologies, like a pious genuflection to traditional family values, which they appear to have affronted by some far-fetched innovation.
The windows and blinds are all closed in most of the rooms of this mansion, no doubt from fear of being engulfed by winds blowing from no-one knows where. And, when the beautiful new furnishings, one after another with no regard for their provenance, begin to encumber and crowd out the space of their rooms even to the extent of pouring into the corridors, not one of these heirs wish to consider the possibility that their cozy, comforting universe may be cracking at the seams. Rather than facing the matter squarely, each in his own way tries to find some way of accommodating himself, one squeezing himself in between a Louis XV chest of drawers and a rattan rocking chair, another between a moldy grotesque statue and an Egyptian sarcophagus, yet another who, driven to desperation climbs, as best he can, a huge heterogeneous collapsing pile of chairs and benches!"
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In the 1,000-page autobiographical manuscript Récoltes et semailles (1986) Grothendieck describes his approach to mathematics and his experiences in the mathematical community, a community that initially accepted him in an open and welcoming manner but which he progressively perceived to be governed by competition and status. He complains about what he saw as the "burial" of his work and betrayal by his former students and colleagues after he had left the community. Récoltes et semailles work is now available on the internet in the French original, and an English translation is underway. Parts of Récoltes et semailles have been translated into Spanish and into Russian and published in Moscow.
When they concern themselves with it at all, it is only to maintain or perhaps embellish their inheritance: strengthen the rickety legs of a piece of furniture, fix up the appearance of a facade, replace the parts of some instrument, even, for the more enterprising, construct, in one of its workshops, a brand new piece of furniture. Putting their heart into it, they may fabricate a beautiful object, which will serve to embellish the house still further.
Much more infrequently, one of them will dream of effecting some modification of some of the tools themselves, even, according to the demand, to the extent of making a new one. Once this is done, it is not unusual for them make all sorts of apologies, like a pious genuflection to traditional family values, which they appear to have affronted by some far-fetched innovation.
The windows and blinds are all closed in most of the rooms of this mansion, no doubt from fear of being engulfed by winds blowing from no-one knows where. And, when the beautiful new furnishings, one after another with no regard for their provenance, begin to encumber and crowd out the space of their rooms even to the extent of pouring into the corridors, not one of these heirs wish to consider the possibility that their cozy, comforting universe may be cracking at the seams. Rather than facing the matter squarely, each in his own way tries to find some way of accommodating himself, one squeezing himself in between a Louis XV chest of drawers and a rattan rocking chair, another between a moldy grotesque statue and an Egyptian sarcophagus, yet another who, driven to desperation climbs, as best he can, a huge heterogeneous collapsing pile of chairs and benches!"
---------------------------------------
In the 1,000-page autobiographical manuscript Récoltes et semailles (1986) Grothendieck describes his approach to mathematics and his experiences in the mathematical community, a community that initially accepted him in an open and welcoming manner but which he progressively perceived to be governed by competition and status. He complains about what he saw as the "burial" of his work and betrayal by his former students and colleagues after he had left the community. Récoltes et semailles work is now available on the internet in the French original, and an English translation is underway. Parts of Récoltes et semailles have been translated into Spanish and into Russian and published in Moscow.
1000 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1986
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About the author
Alexandre Grothendieck
30 books51 followersAlexander Grothendieck (born 28 March 1928 in Berlin, Germany; died 13 November 2014 in St Girons, Ariège) is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century. He is most famous for his revolutionary advances in algebraic geometry, but he has also made major contributions to algebraic topology, number theory, category theory, Galois theory ("new" math), descent theory, commutative homological algebra and functional analysis. He was awarded the Fields Medal in 1966, and was co-awarded the Crafoord Prize with Pierre Deligne in 1988. He declined the latter prize on ethical grounds in an open letter to the media.
He is noted for his mastery of abstract approaches to mathematics, and his perfectionism in matters of formulation and presentation. In particular, he demonstrated the ability to derive concrete results using only very general methods.[1][2][3] Relatively little of his work after 1960 was published by the conventional route of the learned journal, circulating initially in duplicated volumes of seminar notes; his influence was to a considerable extent personal, on French mathematics and the Zariski school at Harvard University. He is the subject of many stories and some misleading rumors concerning his work habits and politics, his confrontations with other mathematicians and the French authorities, his withdrawal from mathematics at age 42, his retirement, and his subsequent lengthy writings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grothend...
He is noted for his mastery of abstract approaches to mathematics, and his perfectionism in matters of formulation and presentation. In particular, he demonstrated the ability to derive concrete results using only very general methods.[1][2][3] Relatively little of his work after 1960 was published by the conventional route of the learned journal, circulating initially in duplicated volumes of seminar notes; his influence was to a considerable extent personal, on French mathematics and the Zariski school at Harvard University. He is the subject of many stories and some misleading rumors concerning his work habits and politics, his confrontations with other mathematicians and the French authorities, his withdrawal from mathematics at age 42, his retirement, and his subsequent lengthy writings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grothend...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 23, 2023
Extremely interesting reflection on how to do research. Beautiful writings about creativity, curiosity, and the importance of "being alone" i.e. to have the courage to pursue a path of inquiry even if it goes against the opinions of many. But also emphasize the importance of listening and learning from others The writing style is excellent and feels deeply personal.
I suspect however that this is a style that might have worked well for Grothendieck but is not for everyone, even though he does not seem to acknowledge it: he was certainly extremely brilliant and gifted with a powerful brain :)
I found the parts on Grothendieck's grievances about his colleagues much less interesting.
I suspect however that this is a style that might have worked well for Grothendieck but is not for everyone, even though he does not seem to acknowledge it: he was certainly extremely brilliant and gifted with a powerful brain :)
I found the parts on Grothendieck's grievances about his colleagues much less interesting.
August 19, 2025
« Ma démonstration n’était pas celle du bouquin, que
[l’enseignant] suivait religieusement. (…) Visiblement, cet homme qui m’enseignait ne se sentait pas capable de juger par ses propres lumières (ici, la validité d’un raisonnement). Il fallait qu’il se reporte à une autorité, celle d’un livre en l’occurrence.(…) Par la suite,et jusqu’à aujourd’hui encore, j’ai eu ample occasion pourtant de voir que de telles dispositions ne sont nullement l’exception, mais la règle quasi-universelle. (…) Mais aujourd’hui encore, que je le veuille ou non, je me sens décontenancé, chaque fois que je m’y retrouve confronté… »
[l’enseignant] suivait religieusement. (…) Visiblement, cet homme qui m’enseignait ne se sentait pas capable de juger par ses propres lumières (ici, la validité d’un raisonnement). Il fallait qu’il se reporte à une autorité, celle d’un livre en l’occurrence.(…) Par la suite,et jusqu’à aujourd’hui encore, j’ai eu ample occasion pourtant de voir que de telles dispositions ne sont nullement l’exception, mais la règle quasi-universelle. (…) Mais aujourd’hui encore, que je le veuille ou non, je me sens décontenancé, chaque fois que je m’y retrouve confronté… »
August 26, 2023
A deep-dive into one of the most controversial and brilliant mathematical minds. The book reads like a memoir and the chapters oscillate between philosophical musings and personal affairs to give us a closer look behind the doors of the life of Grothendieck.
January 27, 2025
Lowkey could inky find the introduction online but that shit was so fire
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews