From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Msuck: nntp://news.gmane.io/gmane.science.mathematics.categories/3256 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Marta Bunge" Newsgroups: gmane.science.mathematics.categories Subject: Re: [Fwd: du Sautoy] Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:59:56 -0400 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1241019187 7931 80.91.229.2 (29 Apr 2009 15:33:07 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:33:07 +0000 (UTC) To: categories@mta.ca Original-X-From: rrosebru@mta.ca Tue Apr 18 21:23:36 2006 -0300 Return-path: Envelope-to: categories-list@mta.ca Delivery-date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 21:23:36 -0300 Original-Received: from Majordom by mailserv.mta.ca with local (Exim 4.61) (envelope-from ) id 1FW0Is-0001Ar-Go for categories-list@mta.ca; Tue, 18 Apr 2006 21:12:18 -0300 Original-Sender: cat-dist@mta.ca Precedence: bulk X-Keywords: X-UID: 54 Original-Lines: 37 Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.science.mathematics.categories:3256 Archived-At: Dear Vaughan, I meant to write a more substantial reply to your question, but I was interrupted by an important telephone call and accidentally I sent a partial reply. I meant to say that there are many attractive results in classical mathematics than can be shown to advantage using category theory, and that I found that emphasizing those in my courses (which of course I have given also repeatedly here at McGill, not just in Spain, Mexico and Egypt) is the key to interest students who do not even intend to work in categories. After all, we want to educate future analysts, topologists, algebraists, computer scientists, logicians to feel that knowing a bit of categories can help in their fields. To me, this is the goal in teaching categories. I only take (or have taken so far) students with a broad mathematical culture and who can get motivated to do categories with a view to better understand and relate different mathematical fields. This is how Gorthendieck pursued mathematics and of course, as it must happen, often going off tangent to develop a theory suggested by obstructions in ordinary work. I feel happier when that happens and do not necessarily think that one ought to aim at forming (often poor) students in category theory. Only the very best, if they can be lured to do so, should work in category theory. Of course, I would myself have been eliminated at the onset had my "rules" been applied in those days. But in the 60's it was different and I now see that catgegory theory must come after the "mathematical experience", not before. I can take the time some time this summer to make a list of such attractive results in the fields I know within category theory. I am too busy now. Best wishes, Marta