Ask cperciva: Are great mathematicians born or made?
recommended by 1 user | 2008 | 36 points by dwaters | mathematics | original thread |

Okay, I have been reading quite a bit about this whole nature vs nurture debate. But I want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Can people who are not inherently 'gifted', start with an immense interest in math at a mid-point in their life, and still go on to make meaningful and significant contributions to the field? In other words, is precocity a prerequisite to doing good work in Math? I'd be interested to hear from a Putnam fellow like you. Also, what are the rest of YC readers' thoughts on this?

One user recommended this thread. What they said:
chrisaycock Jun 11, 2017 | on: A Mathematician's Secret: We're Not All Geniuses | context

Colin Percival wrote one of my favorite response to a question about mathematicians here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=228233

  You have to be smart to do make a significant contribution to 
  mathematics, and I don't believe that people can "become 
  smart" past a very early age. However, it's possible for 
  someone to be smart despite not having been recognized as 
  such, depending on which fields his intellect is applied 
  against. Finally, it's definitely possible for someone who is 
  smart but has never done well in mathematics to make a 
  contribution to mathematics -- if he can develop the interest 
  which is necessary for him to apply his intellect 
  appropriately.
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