I want to ask a more general question that relates to a renowned mathematician’s recent proposed proof of a famous hypothesis, which seems to be widely considered not even close to being correct – that it’s not just not correct, it’s “not even wrong”.
Since now, all the top mathematicians have declined to comment on his proof, seemingly out of respect for the mathematician.
So my general question is: for a well-established mathematician, shouldn’t they be given feedback, even if their work isn’t correct? Why not give a rejection, so that they are informed?
I would think that a long-time mathematician who has won the top awards in their lifetime can actually handle the criticism – they wouldn’t have become a master at their craft without overcoming a great deal of failures and negativity in their career. In that sense, it is actually more respectful to tell a researcher when they are wrong.