r/BOINC • u/FunnyMistake3645 • 2d ago
Why is it so difficult to launch a new project?
From italian boinc board: https://www.boincitaly.org/forum/progetti/115511-come-mai-%C3%A8-cos%C3%AC-difficile-lanciare-un-nuovo-progetto.html
Translation:
There are many mathematical conjectures that could potentially be solved using BOINC within just a few years.
Why is nobody in the world interested in solving them?
We have tried to put together a team on our end (we would have three people to manage the project's very small community forum, a long-time cruncher, and a “donor” who could cover the actual hardware costs), but no mathematicians have shown any interest. We contacted around ten universities and received zero replies. We also haven't been able to find developers willing to launch the project (although I understand that, in this case, the issue is money).
Honestly, we thought it would be enough to find:
A computer science department willing to provide a developer, even for a modest fee (who could also have written a thesis on the subject).
A mathematics department willing to do the same.
Why aren't universities interested in solving mathematical conjectures? Isn't this the kind of monumental, encyclopedic achievement that academics would aspire to? Today's technology should make it possible to solve many long-standing open problems.
