News from here is that as of July 1 I’ll be on a one-semester sabbatical, then will officially retire at the end of the year. This won’t affect that much what I’m actually doing with my time. I’m not moving out of New York and will continue to spend most of my time coming in to the math department to work, but will from now on not be regularly teaching and will mostly give up the administrative things I have been doing for the department having to do with the computer system. In the future I do expect to at some point teach some more courses, but probably not until spring 2027.
In September I’ll be 68, and have always intended to not keep my current position past the age of 70. The reasons for retiring at the end of the year include wanting to focus full-time for a while on research, not wanting to be committed to teaching a course here for now given the disturbing things that have happened (with more likely to come) and the university announcing a financial incentive program for those willing to retire by the end of the year. I’m quite happy with the way this is working out.
I’ll be on vacation in Canada July 3-19. The rest of the summer will be working on trying to write up the progress I’ve been making on the ideas I’ve been pursuing the past few years. The latest version of such a paper focuses not on the twistor stuff but on explaining exactly how “Wick rotation” does something quite unexpected in the case of spinors, opening up new possibilities for unified theories. As always, the problem with writing the paper is that as I write my perspective on the subject changes and I keep changing the conception of the paper. Hopefully this process will converge on a finished version of some kind soon.
During the next academic year I won’t be teaching, look forward to spending a fair amount of time traveling. If you’d like to hear more about the ideas I’ve been working on in person, let me know since I might be near your town sometime during the coming year.
Blogging will continue in some form or other. Much of my recent blogging has been driven by trying to understand what’s going on at Columbia. Unfortunately at this point I’m starting to feel that I understand this all too well, so will continue to report on what’s happening, but spend less time thinking about (and getting disturbed by) it. Will try to find news worth writing about on the math and physics fronts, something that is becoming especially hard to do in physics.
Update: Maybe I should emphasize that, while I’m “retiring” in the sense that Columbia will no longer be paying me a salary and I won’t be teaching a course every semester, I’ll still be spending my time in much the same way as in recent years. The main difference I’m hoping for is to concentrate more on making progress on the research program I’ve been pursuing, so very much not “retiring” from that, quite the opposite.
Dear Prof Woit,
Happy to hear that things are working out so well. I attended your QFT course in the spring of 2024 and enjoyed hearing about your twistor ideas very much. I’m now in the math department at Oxford doing a PhD—any chance your travels will bring you across the pond?
Hi Sameh,
Yes, very much hoping to get to Europe and Britain this coming year, getting out of this country at least for a little while should help with my sanity…
Congratulations on your retirement, Peter. I wish it was happening during a happier time and I’m sure you do too. I’m also sure they will miss you. I look forward to your blog continuing, but thank you for all the years of common sense. If only there were a little more of that “common sense” stuff around.
Jeff Berkowitz,
Thanks, but I should emphasize (and I’ve added something to the posting) that mostly no one’s going to miss me, since I’ll still be around the math department at Columbia working most days, same as always. I won’t be teaching for a while, but hope to teach some courses in the future. While Columbia will no longer be paying me a salary, I’m not “retiring” in any sense from my blogging and research activities, hope to have more time to concentrate on the research.
Congratulations Peter…for the most part. I see you struggling with weighty issues. I’m just sorry it couldn’t be under simpler circumstances.
Eager to see what happens when the *real* work gets more of your time! Looking forward to that. And, whatever our differences, good luck!!
Best,
Eric
Congratulations and wishing you all the peace of mind and productivity for your research in years to come. Thanks for sharing the happy development.
Long time reader, first time commenter. Just wanted to congratulate you on this big transition. I think you’re about to enter the most productive time in your life for your research. “Retirement” is the best time to pursue your own interests without so many interruptions. Best wishes.
I look forward to seeing you develop more of your research program!
As a beginning researcher myself, I empathize with the struggle – at some point the paper just needs to be out, instead of permanently in preparation!
Congratulations Peter-hope things improve here on campus but I too have my doubts. Enjoy the freedom to spend time as you most enjoy.
Congrats, Peter! I just did that myself in February, I think you will continue to do great things. I’m liking retirement a lot so far.
Happy to look at your work on Wick rotation of spinors any time. My own summer travel plans got axed by an unsuccessful high-speed negotiation with a tree while snowboarding, so I’ll be convalescing in Utah and working on mathematical physics for the next several months.
Good for you, Peter. Now is the best possible time to leave. You got lucky. Those of us who aren’t close to retirement age yet will be forced to work under severe constraints, uncertainty, and fear in the coming years.
anon,
Not really leaving, I’ll still most of the time be around Columbia working, going through the security checkpoints. But, being able to leave town when necessary is a big plus.