

Remarks on Expository Writing in Mathematics (2004) [pdf] - CountBayesie
http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~r-ash/Remarks.pdf

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j2kun
> many advanced areas of mathematics are inaccessible to most students because
> no satisfactory exposition exists

What is considered a satisfactory exposition also depends highly on the
maturity of the reader. Not in the technical content of a specific area, but
in the maturity of their mathematical reading skills needed for that area.
This comes up a lot in algebraic geometry, where every student hits a wall
when reading the central textbooks. The books are not necessarily hard because
the author doesn't have a specialty in teaching and expository writing.
Rather, the author is trying to induct the reader into a way of thinking
specific to that field and the communication tools they use.

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amateurpolymath
> I hope to see a change in the reward structure and system of values at
> research-oriented universities so that teaching and expository writing
> become legitimate as a specialty.

This is a problem in many fields. Teaching and exposition are often seen as
low-value distractions from research, the type of work better left to "lesser"
scholars (graduate students, non-tenure track faculty). Many mediocre
researchers would be stellar teachers but you are more respected (and better
paid) for research.

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dang
What year was this published? My usual tricks for putting dates on things have
failed.

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nkurz
The metadata in the file says 2004: CreationDate (D:20041122195023)

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dang
I believe it is cited in earlier sources, though.

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pbsd
First time it appears in the author's page is November 25, 2004:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20041125085351/http://www.math.u...](https://web.archive.org/web/20041125085351/http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~r-ash/)

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dang
Ok, 2004 wins.

