Interview with Tomer Schlank

Math-Life Balance

Tomer Schlank is a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working in homotopy theory and arithmetic geometry. In this interview, Tomer shares his experience of advising a big group of students, speaks about the importance of embracing the struggle, and explains how to get unstuck in a math problem.

Tomer's homepage: https://mathematics.huji.ac.il/people/tomer-schlank

Photo: from Tomer's homepage

0:00 teaser

0:31 astronaut’s dreams

4:06 enjoying the struggle

8:27 top-down thinking

11:35 seminar with physicists

14:52 math dream with Vesna Stojanoska

19:24 taking breaks in projects

22:32 advising 11 students

26:47 doing math & drinking arak

31:14 being stuck is good for you

34:49 how to get unstuck

38:08 don’t worry about talent

42:33 why people hate math

45:36 run towards the problem

48:25 don’t look down on other parts of math

51:43 final advice