Sometimes they get it

Sometimes they get it

[The scene opens with Professor Polymath, a very impressive-looking older man, speaking at a colloquium at Enormous State University. His audience includes a mixture of males and females. Professor Polymath's mouth moves and the audience takes notes as the narrator speaks.]

NARRATOR: The eminent Professor Polymath recently gave a colloquium talk at Enormous State University on polytopes and Coxeter groups. As he gave some history during the introduction, he said, . . .

PROF. POLYMATH: During the nineteenth century, this subject was studied by English gentlemen mathematicians and even a few housewives.

[Many in the audience look aghast at this remark, while Professor Polymath continues to lecture inaudibly. Judith Geometer and her fellow graduate student Abigail Algebraist hiss audibly.]

[All others leave the stage while Judith and Abigail take seats at a terminal on one side of the stage and Prof. Polymath sits at his own terminal on the other side. He does not face them, nor do they face him.]

NARRATOR: The scene changes now to the e-mail terminals where graduate students Judith Geometer and Abigail Algebraist discuss their encounter with Professor Polymath, who can also be seen at his e-mail terminal many miles away.

JUDITH GEOMETER: I wonder if Professor Polymath got the e-mail I sent him yesterday about his remark.

ABIGAIL ALGEBRAIST: I don't see what you could say to a man like that.

JUDITH GEOMETER: I just asked, as a fellow researcher, for the source of his remarks about the nineteenth century history of polytopes and Coxeter groups. [Polymath is seen typing at his terminal while Judith turns to the terminal and reads.] His reply is coming through now. He refers me to p. 49 of "Geometry of Coxeter Groups," by Howard Hiller (Pitman, 1982).

NARRATOR: After some research, Geometer and Algebraist meet again the next day.

ABIGAIL ALGEBRAIST: Did you find that reference in the library?

JUDITH GEOMETER: Yes, listen to this. [Reads from photocopy from book.] "During the later part of the nineteenth century, the subject of polytopes was almost exclusively the domain of (Quote) "English-gentlemen"(Unquote) mathematics. Some of the notable participants were Petrie, a schoolmaster; Gosset, a lawyer; Donchian, a rug dealer, and Alicia Stott, the middle one of Boole's five daughters, a housewife." [Looks up.] Then Hiller goes on to remark only on Stott's results, which suggests to me that she was the best of the lot.

ABIGAIL ALGEBRAIST: Sounds great. So have you sent another e-mail to old Polymath?

JUDITH GEOMETER: Yes, here's what I said. [Reads from printout.] Dear Professor Polymath, I checked the Hiller reference you so kindly provided to your remarks about nineteenth century work on Coxeter groups. Doubtless, . . . [Geometer's mouth continues to move inaudibly while Polymath begins to stare intently at his terminal.]

PROFESSOR POLYMATH: [Reads from terminal, hesitating as he reads the most critical material.] Doubtless you meant no harm, but your reference to the work of "English gentlemen mathematicians and even a few housewives" may be regarded in a quite unfortunate way. Reading Hiller's work in context, I believe his label of "English- gentlemen mathematics" could just as well have been rendered as "English-gentry mathematics." The point is to label the work as amateur in nature and this is why non-mathematical occupations are mentioned for each of the three men and the one woman who are named. Of these four mathematicians, Hiller chooses to discuss only the results of Stott, the one woman in the group. Rather than using this to encourage the many women mathematicians in your audience, you have communicated that, "Some men studied this. They were amateurs, but deserve to be labeled as mathematicians. And there were a couple of women, but they were just housewives, not mathematicians."

Since you are giving similar talks at many locations, I write in the hope of influencing you to be more encouraging to women mathematicians in future presentations. Let me add that your talk to our colloquium was otherwise very well done and should prove useful to me in my own research. Sincerely, Judith Geometer.

Dear me! [Sighs audibly as he turns away from the computer terminal.] Well, there's only one way to deal with this. [Turns back to the terminal.] Dear Ms. Geometer, . . . [lips move inaudibly as he continues to type.]

JUDITH GEOMETER: [Reads from terminal, with increasing amazement in her voice.] Dear Ms. Geometer, What can I say, except to say that you have indeed caught me in an egregious remark which I regret and for which I humbly apologize. I will be presenting another colloquium talk on this subject at the University of Enormous State next week and intend to appropriately credit the work of Alicia Stott at that time. Thank you for letting me know that my talk at ESU was otherwise helpful in your research. Contritely, Peter Polymath.