The self-chosen remit of my blog is “Updates on my research and expository papers, discussion of open problems, and other maths-related topics”. Of the 774 posts on this blog, I estimate that about 99% of the posts indeed relate to mathematics, mathematicians, or the administration of this mathematical blog, and only about 1% are not related to mathematics or the community of mathematicians in any significant fashion.
This is not one of the 1%.
Mathematical research is clearly an international activity. But actually a stronger claim is true: mathematical research is a transnational activity, in that the specific nationality of individual members of a research team or research community are (or should be) of no appreciable significance for the purpose of advancing mathematics. For instance, even during the height of the Cold War, there was no movement in (say) the United States to boycott Soviet mathematicians or theorems, or to only use results from Western literature (though the latter did sometimes happen by default, due to the limited avenues of information exchange between East and West, and former did occasionally occur for political reasons, most notably with the Soviet Union preventing Gregory Margulis from traveling to receive his Fields Medal in 1978 EDIT: and also Sergei Novikov in 1970). The national origin of even the most fundamental components of mathematics, whether it be the geometry (γεωμετρία) of the ancient Greeks, the algebra (الجبر) of the Islamic world, or the Hindu-Arabic numerals , are primarily of historical interest, and have only a negligible impact on the worldwide adoption of these mathematical tools. While it is true that individual mathematicians or research teams sometimes compete with each other to be the first to solve some desired problem, and that a citizen could take pride in the mathematical achievements of researchers from their country, one did not see any significant state-sponsored “space races” in which it was deemed in the national interest that a particular result ought to be proven by “our” mathematicians and not “theirs”. Mathematical research ability is highly non-fungible, and the value added by foreign students and faculty to a mathematics department cannot be completely replaced by an equivalent amount of domestic students and faculty, no matter how large and well educated the country (though a state can certainly work at the margins to encourage and support more domestic mathematicians). It is no coincidence that all of the top mathematics department worldwide actively recruit the best mathematicians regardless of national origin, and often retain immigration counsel to assist with situations in which these mathematicians come from a country that is currently politically disfavoured by their own.
Of course, mathematicians cannot ignore the political realities of the modern international order altogether. Anyone who has organised an international conference or program knows that there will inevitably be visa issues to resolve because the host country makes it particularly difficult for certain nationals to attend the event. I myself, like many other academics working long-term in the United States, have certainly experienced my own share of immigration bureaucracy, starting with various glitches in the renewal or application of my J-1 and O-1 visas, then to the lengthy vetting process for acquiring permanent residency (or “green card”) status, and finally to becoming naturalised as a US citizen (retaining dual citizenship with Australia). Nevertheless, while the process could be slow and frustrating, there was at least an order to it. The rules of the game were complicated, but were known in advance, and did not abruptly change in the middle of playing it (save in truly exceptional situations, such as the days after the September 11 terrorist attacks). One just had to study the relevant visa regulations (or hire an immigration lawyer to do so), fill out the paperwork and submit to the relevant background checks, and remain in good standing until the application was approved in order to study, work, or participate in a mathematical activity held in another country. On rare occasion, some senior university administrator may have had to contact a high-ranking government official to approve some particularly complicated application, but for the most part one could work through normal channels in order to ensure for instance that the majority of participants of a conference could actually be physically present at that conference, or that an excellent mathematician hired by unanimous consent by a mathematics department could in fact legally work in that department.
With the recent and highly publicised executive order on immigration, many of these fundamental assumptions have been seriously damaged, if not destroyed altogether. Even if the order was withdrawn immediately, there is no longer an assurance, even for nationals not initially impacted by that order, that some similar abrupt and major change in the rules for entry to the United States could not occur, for instance for a visitor who has already gone through the lengthy visa application process and background checks, secured the appropriate visa, and is already in flight to the country. This is already affecting upcoming or ongoing mathematical conferences or programs in the US, with many international speakers (including those from countries not directly affected by the order) now cancelling their visit, either in protest or in concern about their ability to freely enter and leave the country. Even some conferences outside the US are affected, as some mathematicians currently in the US with a valid visa or even permanent residency are uncertain if they could ever return back to their place of work if they left the country to attend a meeting. In the slightly longer term, it is likely that the ability of elite US institutions to attract the best students and faculty will be seriously impacted. Again, the losses would be strongest regarding candidates that were nationals of the countries affected by the current executive order, but I fear that many other mathematicians from other countries would now be much more concerned about entering and living in the US than they would have previously.
It is still possible for this sort of long-term damage to the mathematical community (both within the US and abroad) to be reversed or at least contained, but at present there is a real risk of the damage becoming permanent. To prevent this, it seems insufficient for me for the current order to be rescinded, as desirable as that would be; some further legislative or judicial action would be needed to begin restoring enough trust in the stability of the US immigration and visa system that the international travel that is so necessary to modern mathematical research becomes “just” a bureaucratic headache again.
Of course, the impact of this executive order is far, far broader than just its effect on mathematicians and mathematical research. But there are countless other venues on the internet and elsewhere to discuss these other aspects (or politics in general). (For instance, discussion of the qualifications, or lack thereof, of the current US president can be carried out at this previous post.) I would therefore like to open this post to readers to discuss the effects or potential effects of this order on the mathematical community; I particularly encourage mathematicians who have been personally affected by this order to share their experiences. As per the rules of the blog, I request that “the discussions are kept constructive, polite, and at least tangentially relevant to the topic at hand”.
Some relevant links (please feel free to suggest more, either through comments or by email):
- AMS Board of Trustees opposes executive order on immigration
- MAA Executive Committee Statement on Immigration Ban
- SIAM responds to White House Executive Order on Visas and Immigration
- Multisociety letter on immigration
- EMS President on Trump’s Executive Order
- International Council for Science (ICSU) calls on the government of the United States to rescind the Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”
- Public Universities Respond to New Immigration Order
- Statement from the Association for Women in Mathematics
- Simons Foundation Statement on Executive Order on Visas and Immigration
- A letter from the editors of the AMS graduate student blog on the Executive Order on Immigration
- Statement of inclusiveness (a petition, primarily aimed at mathematicians, created and hosted by Kasra Rafi and Juan Souto)
- Academics Against Executive Immigration Order (a petition, aimed at the broader academic community)
- First they came for the Iranians, blog post, Scott Aaronson
- IAS statement on the revised executive order
- The immigration ban is still antithetical to scientific progress, blog post, Boaz Barak and Omer Reingold
146 comments
Comments feed for this article
2 February, 2017 at 2:10 am
Konstantin
These arguments (as well as your earlier anti-Trump post), although entirely correct, feel remarkably irrelevant. If a person can be convinced by this kind of reasoning, he or she is already very unlikely to support Trump.
It is a no-win to discuss this topic as if it were a question of policy. The idea that Iranian Ph. D. students, or new mathematical theorems, are more important than “national security” is hard to sell to almost anyone, much less to a Trump supporter who “does feel safer now”.
Meanwhile, the whole success of Trump shows hinges, in particular, on math-illiteracy of the public. People just cannot perceive the idea that their chances to die in a terror strike are somewhat 100 times lower than to choke on their meal, let alone car accidents and good old firearms violence. Or that Trump’s Carrier deal concerns about 0,5% of the jobs American economy creates and destroys every week.
Maybe, it is a duty of a mathematician to speak up on these matters? On shows being shows, with largely negligible practical impact on their stated goals (though non-negligible collateral damage)?
2 February, 2017 at 8:23 am
Zar
I think trying to argue the numbers won’t work, since Trump’s appeal is based on emotion. It is true that 50 people die from lightning strikes on a typical year in the US, which since 9/11 is greater than the number from Islamic terrorists on average. Similarly, far more jobs will be lost due to Trump’s federal hiring freeze than the number of new jobs created from Carrier etc. I’ve never heard of anyone being swayed by pointing these things out. I know some Trump supporters and facts are discounted as lies, part of a conspiracy, etc.
But if you drag out the refugee children from non-Muslim countries and show them on TV living in squalid refugee camps, or point out how many of our ancestors came to the US as refugees from religious persecution, that seems to have more of an impact.
2 February, 2017 at 11:59 am
Máté Wierdl
“I think trying to argue the numbers won’t work, since Trump’s appeal is based on emotion.”
True, in general: numbers don’t work with the general population. Al Gore is the perfect example, since he had all the correct numbers, but he lost, nevertheless.
Appropriate framing is the way to go. According Berkeley’s Lakoff, calling Trump the minority president is a good beginning,
https://georgelakoff.com/2016/11/22/a-minority-president-why-the-polls-failed-and-what-the-majority-can-do/
There is no reason to underestimate the power of making fun of a politician. For example, many believe, including Ford himself, that Chevy Chase’s portrayal of Ford as a clumsy guy screwed up his reelection.
So Alec Baldwin’s Trump imitation could do a lot of damage. It does get under his skin,
2 February, 2017 at 3:18 am
Marco
Interesting sentence in the NYT today:
“The Australian government has a policy that bars any refugees who attempted to arrive by boat from ever setting foot in the country.”
Your not commenting on this while criticizing Trump is a bit hypocritical.
2 February, 2017 at 4:32 am
Lino Vari
How much is a bit? Not too little to notice I guess. In fact Australia’s ban is harsher: the attempt is to deter even those in genuine need from attempting to enter Australia, it’s shameful and embarrassing to all Australians who wish to help those in genuine need.
Possibly Trump’s xenophobia will eventually lead him that far, maybe further, who knows, but the signs aren’t promising.
Nevertheless, the topic at hand is Trump’s executive order from the perspective of a current resident of the US and its effect. Australia’s ban is irrelevant to the discussion. I doubt there was any intention to conceal the fact that Australia’s measures are far more draconian as well as cruel, but it’s not relevant.
6 February, 2017 at 6:41 am
Caroline
False equivalence.
Australia does not stop refugees based on creed or if they have been accepted for resettlement. Thet select them based on need. Most Australian refugees come from Syria, Iraq, Burma, India and Afghanistan. Nor does Australia cancel any permanent residencies, work permit, or valid visas, of students, people who have family overseas, family overseas who have family in Australia, business travellers, flighy crew, international students, or academics going to conferences based on whether a or one of their passports is from a specific country.
The thing about stopping boats is Australia retains regulated, sustainable, safe, fair intake of refugees that we can take good care of. Beats having them die in the Timor sea and up to a quarter of those arriving not being refugees and sponsoring people traficking.
2 February, 2017 at 5:18 am
Marco
As long as the salaries in American universities are higher, the best and brightest (including mathematicians) will continue to come to the United States through that beautiful door in the middle of the Trump Wall. Also, do not forget Trump’s promise to simplify and streamline the immigration process for people like Terry Tao. If he keeps that promise, I hope you will not forget to give him credit then.
2 February, 2017 at 6:52 am
زهرا خانم
Heartless Bastard criminal top western Masonic mafia governments (USA, UK, France & Germany) and their criminal allies ( zionist israhelli & Wahhabi alle soghoot regimes)
have always violated the Geneva Convention thousands and thousands of times in every war they have imposed on other nations around the world, and yet they accuse others for the crimes they themselves have committed.
They have not been prosecuted for their crimes and human right violations (included physical and sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder) all over of the world.
2 February, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Helge Holden
ICSU – the International Council for Science – has issued a press release regarding the Executive Order, see http://www.icsu.org/news-centre/news/top-news/international-council-for-science-icsu-calls-on-the-government-of-the-united-states-to-rescind-the-executive-order-201cprotecting-the-nation-from-foreign-terrorist-entry-into-the-united-states201d
[Added, thanks -T.]
3 February, 2017 at 12:09 am
Hossein
Monte Hancock
Of course nations have the responsibility to keep their citizens safe. But what if the measures they take are ‘unjust’ and ‘ineffective’ ?
Here I am not talking about ‘singling out mostly muslim counties’ that people are talking about. After 9/11 attacks the nationals of (as I remember) all muslim countries were supposed to give finger prints and report their whereabouts to immigration officials. As an Iranian, I had no problem with that. Even after I was approached by FBI agents multiple times, I didnt feel particularly threatened.
I did not feel ‘discriminated’ because those early measures after 9/11 were almost for all muslim countries. But this time the countries that are singled out are those whose citizens pose much less threat to America than the ones that are not in the list: Saudi Arabia, AUE, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and very interestingly RUSSIA !! Does anybody remember any North Korean terrorist ever? Those poor people cant even get out of their country! How about Sudan? Syria? I havent heard if Sudan or Syria have ever carried out terrorist attacks anywhere (regardless of how bad the regimes are)
Even if these countries, or Iran have carried out terrorist attacks, those alleged attacks have ALWAYS been done by their proxy, especially if the targets are foreign nationals, and not their own citizens.
So, what is evident is that the people in this administration, without any experience in security matters, and without consulting the staff who have had the expertise, singled out a few countries as escape goats to implement these policies upon them, only because they are countries that the US has minimum ties with their governments, and therefore the action is safe politically. End of the story !!!!!
3 February, 2017 at 9:10 am
ndwork
I am a member of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Our annual conference this year will be held in Hawaii. I’ve always been struck by how scientists and mathematicians from warring countries come together every year to work together and combat disease. This year, many members will be unable to attend the conference.
4 February, 2017 at 6:26 am
Anonymous
We dont speak for other countries
If people want to cancel it is thie business
the USA citizens elected him
His job is to protect them first and foremost
4 February, 2017 at 6:27 am
S
We dont speak for other countries
If people want to cancel it is thie business
the USA citizens elected him
His job is to protect them first and foremost
4 February, 2017 at 7:23 am
Máté Wierdl
In one of the strongest blows yet to President Trump’s controversial immigration ban, a federal judge in Seattle on Friday ordered an immediate nationwide halt to enforcement of the order that has caused havoc at airports and sown confusion among thousands of visa holders and refugees.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-seattle-immigration-trump-20170203-story.html
5 February, 2017 at 7:42 am
dendisuhubdy
Reblogged this on The Secret Guild of Silicon Valley.
5 February, 2017 at 6:31 pm
Peter Stacey, Secretary AustMS
The Council of the Australian Mathematical Society has resolved to post the following statement on this thread.
Council of the Australian Mathematical Society wishes to express their support for the American Mathematical Society’s recent statement expressing their opposition to the Executive Order signed by President Trump that temporarily suspends immigration benefits to citizens of seven nations (http://www.ams.org/news?news_id=3305)
We are concerned in principle about any discrimination that interferes with the free exchange of mathematical ideas across borders. We join the many mathematicians around the world (https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/open-thread-for-mathematicians-on-the-immigration-executive-order/#comment-477402) who are expressing their concerns about the restriction on travel that the Executive Order places on academics and students from these seven nations currently based at US universities, and the impact on open exchange of ideas so critical to the international mathematical sciences community. We are also hearing about impacts on academics and students from these nations currently based at Australian universities wishing to travel to the US.
We stand by our American Mathematical Society colleagues in urging that mathematical exchange across borders be maintained and supported, by all nations. We are keen to hear from any academics and students based at Australian universities who are being adversely affected by travel restrictions to the US, so that we can alert the Australian government to the domestic impact of this foreign policy.
5 February, 2017 at 7:04 pm
President VS Mathematician – Math Kitty Blog
[…] https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/open-thread-for-mathematicians-on-the-immigration-executiv… […]
5 February, 2017 at 7:50 pm
Edward Ordman
I was drawn to this discussion by the Australian Math Society notice; I’m Prof. Emeritus at the University of Memphis (TN). I’m delighted to see the AMS speaking up for freedom of travel and freedom of communicating ideas. Two recollections from years ago: (1) The debate on moving an annual AMS meeting from Chicago around 1968 – I think what carried the motion was the observation that many mathematicians had beards and would not be safe when near Chicago policemen. (2) Also in the 60’s – I was doing some work for a government agency, which got all worked up when I submitted a very abstract paper on general topology to a math journal edited in Poland, since they felt I was “sending scientific information to a communist country”.
Governments sometimes don’t get it. I’m glad the AMS does get it this time.
6 February, 2017 at 8:01 am
Import AI: Issue 28: What one quadrillion dollars pays for, research paper archaeology, and AI modules for drones | Mapping Babel
[…] predominantly muslim countries from coming to the US will have significant effects on academia, according to mathematician Terry Tao. “This is already affecting upcoming or ongoing mathematical conferences or programs in the US, […]
7 February, 2017 at 5:15 am
Karabas
Obviously, 90 day ban would not affect the recruitment of new students (who will come in September) or postdocs and faculty (who will come in July). The real question is: how the system will be revamped after it?
And there is a hope for the positive development, but for this the scientific community should work with administration, not against it. As I see, the most of complains are due to a single entry visas given to students and impossibility to convert it into multiple entry without leaving USA. The remedy could be simple: after 1––2 years of successful studies (more for undergrads, less for grads, even less for postdocs) there should be a procedure to ask DHS to convert the single entry visa to multiple entry. Indeed, DHS rather than State Department is responsible for security, and DHS would have all the necessary information. In France (at least 25 years ago) police, it was a police responsibility to deliver a Carte de Sejour which allowed to go abroad and return.
7 February, 2017 at 4:38 pm
Máté Wierdl
“And there is a hope for the positive development, but for this the scientific community should work with administration, not against it.”
Which part of the administration’s Muslim made enough sense to consider a compromise?
Is the judge who ordered the stay of the ban “worked with the administration”?
Working with the administration means accepting more and more of their program.
This acceptance is exactly what got us where we are; just consider whom we got as education secretary today.
University admins are always ready to compromise, and now the majority of profs are nontenured and class sizes doubled in many places . They tell us all the time “We need to play nice, or we won’t get funds.” Typical victim mentality.
Since we are not politicians, we shouldn’t play their games.
8 February, 2017 at 9:10 pm
Karabas
Have I suggested to “compromise” or to “play political games”? I proposed to concentrate on what is important: fixing the system broken during many years while you want to oppose the last 90-days ban which has a very little impact on academia
13 February, 2017 at 8:29 am
Anonymous
You suggested working with an administration that tried to implement a religious test for entry into the USA.
That’s exactly compromise, if not worse.
Sorry, the rest of us will not play sycophant to a racist coward like Trump.
12 February, 2017 at 2:09 am
kat.
Well haven’t we taught him now how to play the system?
12 February, 2017 at 7:48 pm
anthonyquas
I received my first letter from a current US student today (from one of the 7 countries), asking if she could move to work with me in Canada.
21 February, 2017 at 3:49 pm
Why I will no longer do research sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security | An Ergodic Walk
[…] Aaronson wrote very eloquently about this issue after the initial ban was announced (see also Terry Tao). My department has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of applicants in general and not just […]
21 February, 2017 at 4:40 pm
Why I will no longer do research sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security | A bunch of data
[…] Aaronson wrote very eloquently about this issue after the initial ban was announced (see also Terry Tao). My department has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of applicants in general and not just […]
2 May, 2017 at 4:58 pm
Gee wiz
Stop making a fool out of yourself Terry
3 May, 2017 at 10:41 am
Anonymous
Now that was a substantive comment, just filled with thoughtful and well-reasoned content.
Go somewhere else.
13 May, 2017 at 11:52 am
anon
so sad even some of our so-called brilliant minds fall victim to this msm propaganda.
14 May, 2017 at 8:59 am
Anonymous
Go tell your mommy she wants you, snowflake.
14 May, 2017 at 1:00 pm
anon
sure thing, Trigglypuff :D
13 May, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Triggered_Mathematicianess
Thank you, Terry Tao for being a powerful ally in the fight against racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, islamophobia, and sexism. The corrupt fascist orange pig destroying our country must be impeached and we, The Resistance, will NOT back down until he utterly FAILS and is OUT OF OFFICE!
13 August, 2017 at 12:52 pm
clarificationneeded
I think you are hiding a lot in ‘I myself, like many other academics working long-term in the United States, have certainly experienced my own share of immigration bureaucracy, starting with various glitches in the renewal or application of my J-1 and O-1 visas, then to the lengthy vetting process for acquiring permanent residency (or “green card”) status, and finally to becoming naturalised as a US citizen (retaining dual citizenship with Australia)’ either voluntarily or involuntarily.
If you are a professor at UCLA then I believe UCLA should sponsor you, period. If you are born in Australia the immigration process (even if you are applied at a mediocre category of EB2) after UCLA applies for you will not take more than 6 months and may be a year, period. You never had to apply for O visa since you were over 18 and at 21 you were already a professor at UCLA, period. H1B to greencard seems direct for you.
See the waitlist for legals from all regions of the world at https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-september-2017.html and please go to EB category.
Either UCLA misguided you or you were overpaying a mediocre lawyer or you are providing information in a pretty controlled way that supports your opinion.
Do you even know the struggle of regular legal immigrants who really are held hostage by illegals?
7 September, 2017 at 10:03 pm
daca
Any comments on DACA and coming immigration chop?
17 June, 2018 at 9:16 pm
Don'tknow
This is the time to fight and not sit back thinking probably no child in border ever will become a mathematician https://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=3866. Might be we see something on this in your blog.
17 June, 2018 at 9:18 pm
Don'tknow
I actually do not believe anything more than 10% of information on this particular page (only this) and I hope you take a position that is broader in scope.
11 November, 2019 at 3:22 am
Le notizie di scienza della settimana #5 – Chiara Sabelli
[…] Continuano le iniziative, di società scientifiche o di singoli scienziati, contro il MuslimBan di Trump (ora sospeso). Tra queste spicca quella del matematico Terence Tao, vincitore della Medaglia Fields nel 2006, ha aperto un dialogo sul suo blog riguardo all’impatto che il MuslimBan avrà sulla matematica, un’attività che definisce transnazionale. Già molto numerosi le testimonianze di studenti e post-doc: sarà difficile ricostruire la fiducia [terrytao.wordpress; Terence Tao] […]