[Math] The Arnold – Serre debate

Question

I have read (but I cannot now find where) that V. I. Arnold & J.-P. Serre had a public debate on the value of Bourbaki. Does anyone have more details, or remember or know what was said?

Answer 1

I was there. Arnol'd is one of my big mathematical heros, but I found the whole thing really sad. It was in French, but my French is decent. Arnol'd began his part with a phrase I've heard him say before: “In Russia it is impolite to talk ill of the dead, so I will not talk about Bourbaki” and then he proceeded to lambast Bourbaki in as nasty a way as you've ever read in any of his writings. I just felt like hanging my head. It was embarrassing watching him insult French Mathematics in front of 500 French men and saying things that seemed silly. It went on from there, Serre with a kind of sad understated dignity, not fighting, Arnol'd wanting a fight, hurling insults. The two barely even addressed each other. And yes, he did mention Toth, and if memory serves, he stated that Toth was probably Thales and had most likely come up with Newton's inverse square law. For me, the whole event was sad, embarrassing, and myth-crushing. Well, us mathematicians, we are all humans.