From: Greg Kuperberg <greg@math.ucdavis.edu>
Subject: Re: Koslowski & Klein
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 11:41:26 -0800 (PST)

> Actually I honestly do not think I have ever met a mathematician so
> simple minded and lacking in introspection that he would never consider
> the question of the nature of his subject and of what he is doing. John
> Klein might be the first one but I simply do not believe him.

Maybe he overstated it, but he does have a point and I think we should
give him a break.  There are a number of mathematicians who spend
all of their time talking about mathematics and none of it actually
doing any.  They are all bun and no meat.

> Anyway, I am convinced that computer or information science is now
> becoming a deadly threat to mathematics.

Undoubtedly there are some pedants at Oxford who see the United
States as a grave threat to the English language.  But is
their opinion useful?

> does it all have anything to do with topology?

Obligatory topology:  What is the current status of pratical
algorithmic computation of homotopy groups of (say) classifying
spaces?

                        Greg
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