Hacker News Reader

sage76on The 92-Year-Old Mathematician and the Teenage Apprentice

A heartwarming story about a teenager cold-emailing a famous mathematician and getting mentorship—provided that she lives ten blocks away, rapidly solves Herstein problems with original proof ideas, catches the interest of multiple topologists, and eventually helps solve a decades-old open problem.

The takeaway for ordinary students is presumably: “Simply be an extraordinary mathematical talent who happens to live next door to a lonely 92-year-old legend.”

sage76on Ask HN: What are you working on? (August 2026)

Working through PRML and creating a full solution set, albeit very slowly. https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

sage76on The quiet disappearance of the free-range childhood

Upper middle class Indian parents in India can be complete control freak helicopter parents too. Much more than the less wealthy ones.

I have seen and experienced some real extremes there.

sage76on Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (April 2026)

https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

A solution set to the book Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning by Christopher Bishop.

sage76on Ask HN: Any interesting niche hobbies?

Working through PRML and creating a full solution set, albeit very slowly.

https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

sage76on “Collaboration” is bullshit

In my last company (before I left tech forever) I would tell my team that I am blocked on something or my progress is slow because of whatever reason and it would all get ignored lol.

It was almost like they required the standup as part of the process but never used it the way it should be used.

sage76on Ask HN: What are you working on? (July 2025)

Working through PRML and creating a full solution set, albeit very slowly.

https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

sage76on Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (July 2025)

Location: India

Remote: Yes

Willing to Relocate: Yes — ideally to Canada, US, EU or Australia

Technologies: PyTorch / NumPy / Scikit-learn / Math / AI/ML / Research

Résumé/CV: Available on request

GitHub: https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/

Email: abhimanyujain2k6@gmail.com

I’m a machine learning researcher and former software engineer, currently working independently on a deep dive into probabilistic models, inference, and machine learning theory — including a comprehensive solutions manual for Bishop’s Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning.

You can have a look at my progress here : https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

I’m looking for work where I can apply this theoretical depth — ideally roles involving ML research, prototyping, or model optimization — or contribute to academic or open-source projects with strong mathematical foundations.

I have a Master’s from Boston University focused on ML, and ~5 years industry experience (Python, backend). I’m especially interested in:

Algorithmic research and model development

Teams that blend theory and implementation

Teams working on open-ended problems

I’m flexible, fast-learning, and love pushing through complexity.

sage76on Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (July 2025)

SEEKING WORK

Location: India Remote: Yes Willing to Relocate: Yes — ideally to Canada, UK, US, or Australia Technologies: PyTorch / NumPy / Scikit-learn / Math / AI/ML / Research Résumé/CV: Available on request GitHub: https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/ Email: abhimanyujain2k6@gmail.com

You can have a look at my progress here : https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

I have a Master’s from Boston University focused on ML, and ~5 years industry experience (Python, backend). I’m especially interested in:

Algorithmic research and model development

Teams that blend theory and implementation

Teams working on open-ended problems

I’m flexible, fast-learning, and love pushing through complexity.

sage76on Ask HN: What are you working on? (May 2025)

Working through PRML and creating a full solution set, albeit very slowly.

https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

sage76on Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College

So many professors in college are detached and tone-deaf about their syllabus, their approach to teaching, and their workload, that the smart students adapt.

One of those adaptations is cheating. I have seen really hardwokring students in grad school finally resort to cheating because the workload was insane, and they realized everyone else was cheating.

sage76on Sutton and Barto Book Implementation

Damn this is a lot of work. Bookmarked.

sage76on Ask HN: What are you working on? (March 2025)

https://github.com/abhimanyu-jain/PRML_Solutions

sage76on Career Development: What It Means to Be a Manager, Director, or VP (2015)

The main job of these "managers" is repeatedly asking "when will this get done?" and "Why isn't it done yet?".

You could hire a parrot to do these jobs.

sage76on Stamina Is a Quiet Advantage

Sometimes, no matter how much work you put in, you will NOT get better at something.

All these advice pieces are garbage. Easy to say, but then you put in thousands of hours of practice and dont seem to get any better.

sage76on Ask HN: What is interviewing like now with everyone using AI?

Most of the time, those take home tests cannot be done in 2 hours. I remember one where I wasn't even done with the basic setup in 2 hours, installing various software/libraries and debugging issues with them.

sage76on Why is homeschooling becoming fashionable?

Most of the time, there's no rehabilitation. These kids just ruin some other kids' lives.

sage76on Starting a Business at 60: My Father's Story

There's people who call themselves old at 30. I don't know if it is an excuse or what....but it's weird.

I know a 50 year old personally who finished ironman triathlon.

sage76on How to Study Mathematics (2017)

This is not applicable to every book. Try doing this with Casella and Berger and see how difficult it becomes.

Some books can take many many months to finish off like this, and most courses only cover a small percentage of the book.

sage76on How to succeed in MrBeast production (Leaked PDF)

I am hearing this stuff from bigger companies too now. By definition, everyone cannot hire A players.

sage76on More young men are becoming NEETs than women

What a bunch of bs, made up reasons for why men are becoming NEETs.

sage76on The Gervais Principle, or the Office According to “The Office” (2009)

This writing explained nearly everything I saw in the corporate world.

One thing I do disagree with is the promotion of enlightened underperformers. Those guys seemed to always end up leaving and starting their own companies.

sage76on Panic at the Job Market

There is a YC company that wanted a 4 hour recorded session of me coding up a problem they had given, with me explaining what I am doing for the entire 4 hours.

sage76on Advice to Young Mathematicians [video]

> It is tempting to do so because you feel things will come easier to you if you fulfill the prerequisites first. But the problem is that there is just not enough time. AND, it actually may not be even necessary.

I think this is a lesson I am learning. I am going through the book PRML throroughly (which means attempting every single exercise) and writing out the solutions.

I also did the prereqs somewhat rigorously.

It has been incredibly time consuming.

sage76on Ex-OpenAI board member reveals what led to Sam Altman's brief ousting

> they are not even technical

Sama is also not technical.

sage76on The Effects of Early Relational Trauma (2001) [pdf]

> it's often the last thing they'd ever want to talk about. With anyone, including people they are really close to.

'Get over it' is the most common response. That's why they shut up about it. People who are close to them are only close because of something positive that is being offered. Nobody wants to deal with anyone else's issues.

sage76on Statement from Scarlett Johansson on the OpenAI "Sky" voice

> Is it their hobby to be a dick to as many people as they can, for no reason other than their amusement? Just plain weirdos

They seem to love "testing" how much they can bully someone.

I remember a few experiences where someone responded by being an even bigger dick, and they disappeared fast.

sage76on Discussion: Job seekers can't find a job and Employers can't find an employees

> We're going to have to be smart and solve this ourselves by reading papers and experimenting and trying things out. How would you do that?

By reading papers and experimenting and trying things out? Throw in a few books for good measure?

Why are you answering the question you are asking yourself?

sage76on Ilya Sutskever: “If you learn all of these, you’ll know 90% of what matters”

Must be a hell of a hotel room, I should visit.

sage76on When Is a Counter-Strike Player Good?

The ping theory is very interesting. Some people claim Turkish players are also easily frustrated, and they also have high ping to European servers.