一篇有趣的文章探讨了数学家吃玉米的方式与他们偏好分析或代数的关联。作者本·蒂利提出，数学家们通常在分析或代数上有明确的偏好，而这种偏好竟然与他们吃玉米的方式——直线排列还是螺旋形——相对应。这一现象在数学界得到了普遍的认同，并成为了一个有趣的预测游戏。

🔢 文章指出，数学家通常分为喜欢分析和偏好代数的两类。这种分类在数学领域是广泛认知的，即使那些不直接从事相关研究的数学家，也清楚自己的偏好。

🌽 作者分享了一个亲身经历，发现在一次午餐中，喜欢分析的数学家都以螺旋形吃玉米，而喜欢代数的则以直线排列方式吃玉米。这一观察结果引起了在场数学家的注意。

🧩 作者进一步验证了这一现象，通过询问遇到的数学家他们的偏好，并预测他们吃玉米的方式。在大多数情况下，这种预测都是准确的，只有一个逻辑学家例外，他以一种介于两者之间的方式吃玉米。

In 2010, Ben Tilly of the blog Random Observations wrote Analysis Vs. Algebra Predicts Eating Corn?, which said:

I like learning about odd connections between disparate things. This probably is the oddest example that I know.

Broadly speaking, mathematicians can be divided into those who like analysis, and those who like algebra. The distinction between the two types runs throughout math. Even those who work in areas that are far from analysis or algebra are very aware of the difference between them, and usually are very clear on which their preference is. I’ll delve into this in more depth soon, but for now let’s just take it for granted that this is a well-known distinction, and it has meaning for mathematicians.

Back when I was in grad school there was a department lunch with corn on the cob. Partway through the meal one of the analysts looked around the room and remarked, “That’s odd, all of the analysts are eating corn one way and the algebraists are eating corn another!” Everyone looked around. In fact everyone was eating the corn in one of two ways. One way was to munch over the length of the corn in a straight line, back up, turn slightly, and do another row across. Kind of like how an old typewriter goes. The other way was to go around in a spiral. All of the analysts were eating in spirals, and the algebraists in rows.

There were a number of mathematicians present whose fields of study didn’t make it clear whether they were on the analysis or algebra side of things. We went around and asked, and in every case the way they ate corn matched their preference. Since then I’ve made a point of amusing myself by asking mathematicians I meet whether they prefer algebra or analysis, and then predicting which way they will eat corn. I’m probably up to 40 or so by now, and in every case but one I’ve been able to correctly predict how they eat corn. The one exception was a logician who claimed to be exactly on the fence between the two. When I explained the corn thing to him he looked surprised, and said that he had an unusual way of eating corn. He went in loose spirals! In other words he truly was a perfect combination of algebra and analysis!