Math Chair’s Remarks

* In “Longtime Math Mystery Reported Solved” (June 24) Simon Kochen, chairman of the Princeton mathematics department, said, “This is something you could state to a high school boy, but it’s so, so difficult to prove.” With encouragement like this, it is no wonder that few girls choose or are given the opportunity to pursue careers in the sciences and mathematics. Both my sister and I found the subject of the article quite provocative, but wonder how many other young women were turned off by Kochen’s remarks.

ERIN A. PALMER

Huntington Beach