Of Cranks and Crackpots: What Eccentrics Can Teach Us about the Epistemology of Mathematics

Of Cranks and Crackpots: What Eccentrics Can Teach Us about the Epistemology of Mathematics with Colin Jakob Rittberg

13 November at 2:30 pm at Old Surgeons’ Hall, 1.62 Seminar Room

Entrance to Old Surgeons’ Hall: https://w3w.co/roofs.insert.owls

Accessibility information: https://www.accessable.co.uk/the-university-of-edinburgh/central-area/access-guides/1-62-seminar-room

Abstract

This talk examines the figure of the mathematical “crank.” For centuries, such outsiders have been ridiculed or dismissed as nuisances within mathematical communities. Modern literature, historical accounts, and online discussions among mathematicians depict the crank as an obstinate outsider who circulates unsolicited manuscripts, refuses to engage with criticism, and operates outside the accepted norms of scholarly discourse.

Cranks are usually characterized as advancing arguments that are logically or mathematically flawed. Yet in practice, their submissions are often set aside without detailed scrutiny—on the basis of topic, formatting, or style of presentation. This suggests that the evaluation of mathematical work relies not only on formal correctness but also on pragmatic criteria. As a result, even sound contributions risk being overlooked.

I argue that such practices can be epistemically justified once we take into account the constraints of time and the management of scholarly attention.

Contact

Jan Vrhovski j.vrhovski@ed.ac.uk