tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post7316713849914189538..comments2024-03-27T19:58:17.387-05:00Comments on Computational Complexity: How hard is changing fields? Ask Sheldon!Lance Fortnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06752030912874378610noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-67854467956357412512014-09-04T09:55:54.507-05:002014-09-04T09:55:54.507-05:00As I argued below, switching fields is asymmetric:...As I argued below, switching fields is <b>asymmetric</b>: if you switch from a hard theoretical area to a more accessible ("easier") and more popular area, it is not that difficult to do. <br />What I find rare and perhaps difficult is the opposite direction. Philippenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-90594809562973806332014-09-04T08:28:59.849-05:002014-09-04T08:28:59.849-05:00Jeffrey Ullman switched quite successfully from th...Jeffrey Ullman switched quite successfully from theory to databases.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-67580874770757079092014-09-04T04:33:54.142-05:002014-09-04T04:33:54.142-05:00It is not difficult at all (from the perspective o...It is not difficult at all (from the perspective of the faculty) to switch from a basic and highly theoretical field X (e.g., complexity) to a fashionable and emerging field Y (e.g., Game Theory). <br /><br />The interesting case would be someone who worked on, e.g., systems, and switched to algebraic geometry, or circuit complexity. I don't know of examples of the latter case.Philippenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-34201707671882674482014-09-03T21:02:31.981-05:002014-09-03T21:02:31.981-05:00I switched from TCS while an untenured faculty mem...I switched from TCS while an untenured faculty member and am now a tenured full prof in a world class biology department. Dunno if my work has been "great", but at least it hasnt sucked.james a. fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06808109711829314729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1227905191579698502014-09-03T19:55:18.075-05:002014-09-03T19:55:18.075-05:00There are lots of people who have switched areas w...There are lots of people who have switched areas within CS. Off the top of my head, and restricting myself to theorists:<br />Cynthia Dwork, Jon Kleinberg (who continues to work in many areas), Silvio Micali (crypto -> game theory), Joan Feigenbaum, Noam Nisan, ...<br /><br />With the possible exception of Kleinberg, you could argue that these people are all continuing to work in TCS. But the scope of their work has been fairly broad.<br /><br />Maybe others can think of people who have made more radical changes, or who work outside of TCS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-82159779838556209692014-09-03T07:58:44.379-05:002014-09-03T07:58:44.379-05:00A dept may still exert pressure via (1) teaching l...A dept may still exert pressure via (1) teaching load, (2) salary, (3) promotion to Full Prof. The Granting agencies may exert pressure by not funding. There is also the social pressure of not being the person that people say `Professor X used to do good work in genetics before he stopped that and began working with mutants. Oh well.'GASARCHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06134382469361359081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-22236439016715654332014-09-03T05:14:41.355-05:002014-09-03T05:14:41.355-05:00A serious question: if a person has tenure/permane...A serious question: if a person has tenure/permanent position, what does it matter if "the department likes what he/she does"? I don't understand the kinds or pressure or constraints that one is faced with with respect to to his/her research? <br />E.g., what does it matter how much he/she publishes? <br />(P.s. I have a permanent position).Briannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-26271088139237884562014-09-02T21:05:53.056-05:002014-09-02T21:05:53.056-05:00What supervisor? He got his first Ph.D. at age 16...What supervisor? He got his first Ph.D. at age 16 and was a visiting professor in Germany after that. If he's a professor currently he's a 100% research professor since he doesn't teach classes or he buys out of everything which would likely give the department back more than they actually put into his salary. Gablehauser was the chair of the physics department, if that's who you meant. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-28013834709225622612014-09-02T21:00:09.874-05:002014-09-02T21:00:09.874-05:00Self-supported researchers still get a paycheck &q...Self-supported researchers still get a paycheck "from" the University, they just happen to be paying themselves through the payroll system. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-36216813005419955542014-09-02T15:53:34.114-05:002014-09-02T15:53:34.114-05:00Sheldon started as post-doc. His supervisor appear...Sheldon started as post-doc. His supervisor appeared a few times in the early episodes. At some point he seems to have been promoted to full time researcher/professor as reflected by his direct interactions with the University president. He gets a generous paycheck from the university which suggests he is not self-supported. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-37229888301523459672014-09-02T14:08:20.626-05:002014-09-02T14:08:20.626-05:00My two cents is that it is hard to change field bu...My two cents is that it is hard to change field but it would be a lot easier if only papers on the arxiv could be submitted for publication, cf. http://emanueleviola.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/only-papers-on-the-arxiv-can-be-submitted-for-publication/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-14569334762897093692014-09-02T13:58:53.852-05:002014-09-02T13:58:53.852-05:00Sheldon is not a professor. He appears to be some...Sheldon is not a professor. He appears to be some sort of self-supporting research scientist with no supervisor. At that level, in reality wouldn't he be "allowed" to pursue whatever area of physics he wanted to so long as he got grants?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com