« What should one expect and watch out for when wanting to do research? »
As a former student of the preparatory classes for the "grandes écoles", who became a dentist and then a collaborator in a prevention service of the national health service, I don't want to give advice on scientific research as it is practiced today.
But I want to share my experience as an outsider who wanted, late in life, to get back on the train of science.
Professional life, as many already know, is not a long, quiet river. The younger generations already know this since they have - as they say - to struggle hard and long to enter active life.
And not only is it difficult to enter, but it is even less easy to stay there. The radio, professional training organizations, and unions tell you about the need for lifelong learning. These are not empty words and I can bear witness to that. No one knows at twenty what the twists of fate and health have in store for them.
If I resumed the study of mathematical physics and if I embarked on building websites on the Internet, it is indeed because destiny interrupted my dental career at forty-six, in the prime of my life. A stroke forced me to revise my life plan. This type of accident does not only happen to others. So what to do when fate turns against you? What to do to bounce back in this merciless universe?
Fortunately, in France, we do not live in the worst of all worlds. We have a social security system and safety nets exist. But assistance is only modest, temporary and it does not fill life with the satisfactions one expects from it. So, you have to look within yourself for the resources necessary to bounce back.
As for me, I found them while brushing up on an old passion for mathematical physics. And since I was lucky enough to have people by my side ready to help me in this self-reclamation, I decided, starting in may 2004, to share this life journey with others… through websites whose vocation would be to spread a little of this personal passion around me.
It has been a long journey fraught with trials. The result is here before your eyes. I hope it can help you a bit if you choose the path of learning science. Enjoy exploring, and thank you for taking some time to discover the content of this site.
Unlike what was still possible in the early two-thousands, there is no longer any room in the official world of physics and mathematics today for amateur researchers. They have to make do with self-publishing or using platforms where their work will not be peer-reviewed.
The reason: these disciplines are intended to serve as a basis for concrete and lucrative applications for numerous branches of industry.
My first piece of advice is therefore obvious and simple: affiliation with a recognized institution (university faculties, technical schools, engineering schools, patented laboratories, etc.) is today an essential prerequisite for anyone wanting to start a research career.
It is therefore not possible to access this career without completing a path leading to the issuance of a nationally and/or internationally recognized qualification. The lack of a degree (bachelor's, master's, doctorate) is now disqualifying. Furthermore, one must now be able to prove expertise in order to open an account on the websites of professional scientific journals and have one's work published there.
Research is done in a group, within a team. It is a coordinated collective work that cannot be done alone at the edge of one's kitchen table.
Even mathematicians need access to abundant literature and therefore to places of knowledge where they will be guided by their mentors.
It would also be an outdated view to believe that this discipline does not lead to essential concrete applications in many fields (industry, construction, sociology, etc.). It necessarily includes an experimental component.
Today, learning and practicing this discipline no longer consists of hiding behind a mountain of books bearing incomprehensible hieroglyphics or formulas to learn by heart.
Doing mathematics means learning to systematize the connections that objects or beings can maintain among themselves. This aptitude therefore begins with a careful observation of these objects and the beings that surround us. One must understand a little bit about nature, life, and people in order to get started.
Mathematics, after all, is only a sophisticated and extremely condensed form of language; much like music. It is the art of symbolizing these connections and the rules that govern them. It is, in that sense, a difficult form of abstraction but not necessarily inaccessible, provided one dedicates a little time to it.
Choosing a topic all by yourself, based on some out-of-nowhere intuition, is not done anymore. As an indication only, the list of unsolved problems to date (available on French Wikipedia) can give an idea of interesting topics.
The studied subject must be in the continuity of a lineage of problems stemming from approaches started in the past (sometimes distant) whose final steps remain to be cleared or confirmed. They will probably be the subject of your thesis and future papers.
Your peers are there to guide this choice.
It can happen that a research topic captivates several teams at the same time. A race against the clock then begins. There is no guarantee in advance that your team will win the challenge before the others.
One day, in this context of fierce competition, you may learn through the media that others have won or that the working hypothesis you are working on so hard and with conviction is not the right one. On that day, you will need to take a deep breath of fresh air and you will be glad to have other occupations besides your research.
Once the training path is complete, life does not stop. The professional adventure begins.
It involves the application of a fairly simple principle well summarized by these words: "Knowledge, know-how, and making it known".
In other words, he will certainly sometimes publish the fruits of the work accomplished. The articles submitted to journals must have the appropriate technical level and the desired formalities.
A simple way to acquire the necessary reflexes while pursuing one's research is simply to read as many articles, courses, and books as possible on the selected or studied subjects. Thus, while learning, the attentive eye will retain the stylistic turns and the general structure of the articles.
In addition to the writing techniques that may be acquired during studies, the journals in which it is decided to publish the research results also impose precise standards that must be respected (These are generally indicated in the instructions for authors).
Since the articles are written in your native language but also in English/American, it is certainly recommended to maintain your mother tongue while also learning Shakespeare's language.
Regarding the latter, it is also possible to equip oneself with online correction programs or, nowadays, automated translation programs (a side effect of the development of artificial intelligence).
You may be starting this professional journey because contemporary sciences captivate you.
Everyone remains obviously responsible for their choices and actions, and giving advice or moral lessons is no longer very common.
Nevertheless, it is probably wise not to advance along your chosen path while blinded by a naive passion.
Basic research is not an easy path, and rarely a walk in the park.
Like any human activity, it takes place within a certain political and social context that must be taken into account. And this context varies from one country to another; sometimes also over time.
It will undoubtedly also be important not to get lost in mathematics and to always keep one eye open on the global environment of your future profession in order to succeed in your endeavor.
Good luck!
© Thierry PERIAT, September 09, 2026.
This text is an update of a reflection dating from July 2019.