Why many famous Western mathematicians end up committing suicide, destitute and mad?

Question

Boltzmann amongst others end up tragically compared to Islamic mathematicians such as Al-Kindi, Al Jabir al Hayyan, Al-Khwarizmi and others? Is it because the reliazation that there is denial that God exist creates more doubts and therefore mental breakdown?

Answer 1

I love reading about anything and everything, but had not known about this till reading your question. It is a good question always the one that makes you think!!! I'll try to read a bit about these people you mention. I do have to re-read your second part of the question, though. But mental breakdown could happen to anyone for different reasons. Maybe mental stress from all their work ultimately makes them unbalalnced.

Answer 2

Western Mathematicians

Answer 3

Your premise is flawed. That is why your conclusion is not supported.
Also, you use a single case that you compare to selected cases. This is hardly convincing evidence.

You have to set up your analysis properly.

Define what you mean by "famous mathematician". Then find all persons who fit that description. Divide them into groups (it appears that you need three):

Western, Islamic, Others.

(This is a strange division since one group is based on geography or culture, the second on religion and the third captures whatever is left).

Divide each group into sub-groups: those who have denied (or found evidence against) God's existence, and those who have not.

In each subgroup, find the proportion of individuals who have committed suicide. Analyse the data (there are set tests for this) to see if your hypothesis is rejected or not.

After this, if your hypothesis has not yet been rejected, you will have established a link. It is not yet a "causal" link.

You then have to exclude other reasons why they may have had committed suicide. For example, maybe "western" mathematicians go through very difficult teen years (being called geeks in a society that prides itself on ignorance) while islamic mathematicians are valued by their peers, whatever their age. Maybe the memory of a tragically sad youth weighs too much on western minds and triggers the suicide.
Who knows.

Answer 4

I don't think many famous western mathematiciand end up as you say. I know only about Cantor and Godel.
I think that is an impression given by movies( Pi, A beautiful mind, The proof) but in reality mathematicians are normal. The movies show them mad in order to put them in extraordinary conditions and make it more interesting.
Well ,maybe they are a bit eccentrical given the abstractions that they worked with.
You try to say that religion makes somebody more mentally healthy. That's false. Believe or not, not everything in this world is about God.

Answer 5

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The short answer would be that Wallace and Woolf battled mental illness much of their lives, Plath was having trouble adjusting to her divorce, and Toole had despaired of getting his first novel published. The long answer is that a lifetime of pain goes into a suicide. Yet there are special problems related to writing that would make suicide understandable. Few writers support themselves writing. They are forced to go out and work a day job to pay the bills. Then they have to go home to their "real" job. This would be incredibly stressful. There is a deeper issue, though. Writing is a very solitary profession. That can cause problems even if you become successful. You will be forced to put yourself in the spotlight, promoting your work. At the same time you will be forced to isolate yourself once more to write the next book. A career spent torn in this way could drive anyone crazy. A life spent writing is a life of the mind. How healthy that mind is, or how healthy it remains, is a continuing question. Gore Vidal once said "The mind that doesn't feed itself eats itself." He was referring to reading, but I think it applies as well to maintaining a balance: exercise after sitting for hours, company after being alone for hours, hobbies and interests that provide practical inspiration instead of the temptation towards alcohol and other substances. This is a demanding profession at the best of times.

Answer 6

i've had quite a few math teachers that i'm sure were all crazy, but all very intelligent people.

but that type of thing happens among all genius people, not just mathematicians.

i think many extremely intelligent people cannot handle it and end up crazy, and in the western world, suicide is more conceivable than everywhere else

Answer 7

Few have ended up committing suicide or mad. Some have ended up destitute.

Not a question.

No.

Answer 8

Imagine that Math is evil, I didnt know that, did you know that? How is math evil?

Answer 9

because math is evil.