I26: V. A. Petrov | SPBU, mathematics, R&D, science in China, graduate school is not for everyone
Viktor Aleksandrovich Petrov, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at St. Petersburg State University (SPBU), Professor, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, is an active researcher in mathematics, specializing in projective homogeneous manifolds and ring and field theory.
Read more: https://math-cs.spbu.ru/people/petrov...
00:00 Greetings
00:20 Are you more of a mathematician or a computer scientist?
01:48 Do you notice a rejection of all things mathematical in students?
03:23 Does it make sense to develop mathematical thinking, even if many people don't need it in practice?
03:53 Have you supported programmers who were interested in math?
04:29 Why do your lectures contain so many terms that only mathematicians understand?
06:26 Do students coming to your department no longer need to be instilled with a love of math?
06:50 Is math a way of formulating thoughts in a rigorous way?
07:10 Does the general mass of programmers need higher education?
07:52 Many programmers complain that higher education takes away many years of life, but this knowledge is not useful.
08:59 Can only university give a broad outlook?
10:30 Is becoming a scientist a profitable development strategy?
11:04 In 10-15 years, what will today's graduate student be able to do?
11:56 Does the company coming to the university add to the professor's salary?
12:18 How does an academic become a rich man?
13:29 The mathematical method of thinking can be useful exactly as a method of thinking differently?
14:43 Is there still much undiscovered in mathematics?
15:12 Pythagoras' theorem is formed in two lines, and group theory in 10-20 pages. Are things getting much more complicated in math?
16:06 AI can help invent and prove math problems?
16:32 Are mathematicians afraid AI will take away their jobs?
18:15 What will happen to math in 20 years when AI learns to solve complex math problems?
19:56 People have gotten used to solving even simple math problems in their minds. Maybe humans will become more living and less thinking beings?
21:32 When students use AI in learning, doesn't it outrage you?
23:52 Do your students write scientific papers?
24:51 Are Russian universities stronger or weaker compared to global ones?
30:40 Why does Russia produce smarter mathematicians, but its economy is worse?
32:18 Where would you advise a student to go? Master's program in Russia or abroad?
36:17 Would you go to China to work?
36:50 Is there no threat from integrating companies into universities?
39:03 Won't companies dictate their interests to universities?
40:05 Maybe a mandatory grant system from these companies is needed?
41:31 How do companies measure the outcome of RnD?
44:30 By what metrics are professors evaluated?
45:29 Recently, a UK university voluntarily withdrew from the global ranking system based on the number of publications by professors.
48:40 Should scientists be ranked at all?
51:00 A start in a scientific career.
52:08 Why are there no scientific conferences and journals of the same level in Russia as abroad?
52:29 In your opinion, do programmers need both math and computer science?
54:33 In your opinion, should students be praised or punished more?
57:37 In 2001. You won the ICPC competition in a team with Nikolai Durov. Since then, which of you has been luckier?
59:47 Where is it better to go? The academic road or startups?
01:01:21 What is the main mission of a teacher?