> If a mathematician picks a research direction and spends a whole week on it and it doesn't pan out, they will likely be annoyed, need a break for a while, etc.
Your timelines are a bit unambitious. There's nobody expecting to make significant progress with a week of work.
> There's nobody expecting to make significant progress with a week of work.
You underestimate my ADHD.
Source: I am mathematician.
Hell, I underestimate my own ADHD.
Source: the post-it notes, ALL OF THEM.
They were just illustrating their point, I wouldn't take that literally.