# Jordan Ellenberg on Reddit (u/Jordan-Ellenberg)

Part of Scientists on Reddit, researched with Autumn (https://www.autumn.ai) from public sources. Updated 2026-11-07. Interactive version: https://www.autumn.ai/resources/scientists-on-reddit/jordan-ellenberg

Jordan Ellenberg: Mathematician, author of How Not to Be Wrong.

- Reddit account: [u/Jordan-Ellenberg](https://www.reddit.com/user/Jordan-Ellenberg/) (AMA only)
- How we know it's theirs: [The 2018 r/science AMA, posted from this account](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/81dvbs/)
- Where they post, in the records we retrieved: r/science (40), r/IAmA (34), r/Lyft (3), r/math (1)
- Known activity in the posts we found: 2018 to 2021
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Ellenberg

## Moments

### u/Jordan-Ellenberg in r/science, Mar 2, 2018 · Explains things

Replying to a redditor:

> How do you improve your math skills where subjects such as calc becomes easy to understand. Im just tired of everyone around me telling me how easy derivatives are and how stupid i look when i tell them its hard for ms

> Math isn't easy to understand.  It's hard to understand.  There's a reason it took thousands of years of mathematical progress to get to calculus!
>
> The worst thing a teacher can say is "This is simple."  It isn't simple!  But it's *doable*, with work.
>
> The problem isn't you, it's the people around you.

Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/81dvbs/comment/dv2z7en/ · 8 points as of Nov 7, 2026

### u/Jordan-Ellenberg in r/science, Mar 2, 2018 · AMA answer

In the thread "I’m Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not To Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking, and I’m on this week's NOVA: “Prediction By The Numbers.” Ask me anything about mathematics, predicting the future, predicting the future of mathematics, data, and number theory!".

> Are you going to be trampled and left in the dust by brilliant kids?  Well, we all are, eventually, right?  In math, there is *always* someone stronger/faster/more advanced than you.  That is not a reason not to do it.  If it were, there would only be one mathematician.  That would stink.

(Excerpt.)
Full thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/81dvbs/comment/dv2xs5a/ · 9 points as of Nov 7, 2026