\( % groupings of objects. \newcommand{\set}[1]{\left\{ #1 \right\}} \newcommand{\seq}[1]{\left(#1\right)} \newcommand{\ang}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\tuple}[1]{\left(#1\right)} \newcommand{\size}[1]{\left| #1\right|} \newcommand{\comp}{\circ} % numerical shortcuts. \newcommand{\abs}[1]{\left| #1\right|} \newcommand{\floor}[1]{\left\lfloor #1 \right\rfloor} \newcommand{\ceil}[1]{\left\lceil #1 \right\rceil} % linear algebra shortcuts. \newcommand{\change}{\Delta} \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\left\| #1\right\|} \newcommand{\dprod}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\linspan}[1]{\langle#1\rangle} \newcommand{\conj}[1]{\overline{#1}} \newcommand{\der}[1]{\frac{d#1}{dx}} \newcommand{\lap}{\Delta} \newcommand{\kron}{\otimes} \newcommand{\nperp}{\nvdash} \newcommand{\mat}[1]{\left[ \begin{smallmatrix}#1 \end{smallmatrix} \right]} % derivatives and limits \newcommand{\partder}[2]{\frac{\partial #1}{\partial #2}} \newcommand{\partdern}[3]{\frac{\partial^{#3 #1}}{\partial #2^{#3}}} \newcommand{\gradient}{\nabla} \newcommand{\subdifferential}{\partial} % Arrows \newcommand{\diverge}{\nearrow} \newcommand{\notto}{\nrightarrow} \newcommand{\up}{\uparrow} \newcommand{\down}{\downarrow} % gets and gives are defined! % ordering operators \newcommand{\oleq}{\preceq} \newcommand{\ogeq}{\succeq} % programming and logic operators \newcommand{\dfn}{:=} \newcommand{\assign}{:=} \newcommand{\co}{\ co\ } \newcommand{\en}{\ en\ } % logic operators \newcommand{\xor}{\oplus} \newcommand{\Land}{\bigwedge} \newcommand{\Lor}{\bigvee} \newcommand{\finish}{\Box} \newcommand{\contra}{\Rightarrow \Leftarrow} \newcommand{\iseq}{\stackrel{_?{=}}} % Set theory \newcommand{\symdiff}{\Delta} \newcommand{\setdiff}{\backslash} \newcommand{\union}{\cup} \newcommand{\inters}{\cap} \newcommand{\Union}{\bigcup} \newcommand{\Inters}{\bigcap} \newcommand{\nullSet}{\phi} % graph theory \newcommand{\nbd}{\Gamma} % Script alphabets % For reals, use \Re % greek letters \newcommand{\eps}{\epsilon} \newcommand{\del}{\delta} \newcommand{\ga}{\alpha} \newcommand{\gb}{\beta} \newcommand{\gd}{\del} \newcommand{\gp}{\pi} \newcommand{\gf}{\phi} \newcommand{\gh}{\eta} \newcommand{\gF}{\Phi} \newcommand{\gl}{\lambda} \newcommand{\gm}{\mu} \newcommand{\gn}{\nu} \newcommand{\gr}{\rho} \newcommand{\gs}{\sigma} \newcommand{\gth}{\theta} \newcommand{\gx}{\xi} \newcommand{\gw}{\omega} \newcommand{\sw}{\sigma} \newcommand{\SW}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\ew}{\lambda} \newcommand{\EW}{\Lambda} \newcommand{\Del}{\Delta} \newcommand{\gD}{\Delta} \newcommand{\gG}{\Gamma} \newcommand{\gW}{\Omega} \newcommand{\gS}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\gTh}{\Theta} % Bold english letters. \newcommand{\bA}{\mathbf{A}} \newcommand{\bB}{\mathbf{B}} \newcommand{\bC}{\mathbf{C}} \newcommand{\bD}{\mathbf{D}} \newcommand{\bE}{\mathbf{E}} \newcommand{\bF}{\mathbf{F}} \newcommand{\bG}{\mathbf{G}} \newcommand{\bH}{\mathbf{H}} \newcommand{\bI}{\mathbf{I}} \newcommand{\bJ}{\mathbf{J}} \newcommand{\bK}{\mathbf{K}} \newcommand{\bL}{\mathbf{L}} \newcommand{\bM}{\mathbf{M}} \newcommand{\bN}{\mathbf{N}} \newcommand{\bO}{\mathbf{O}} \newcommand{\bP}{\mathbf{P}} \newcommand{\bQ}{\mathbf{Q}} \newcommand{\bR}{\mathbf{R}} \newcommand{\bS}{\mathbf{S}} \newcommand{\bT}{\mathbf{T}} \newcommand{\bU}{\mathbf{U}} \newcommand{\bV}{\mathbf{V}} \newcommand{\bW}{\mathbf{W}} \newcommand{\bX}{\mathbf{X}} \newcommand{\bY}{\mathbf{Y}} \newcommand{\bZ}{\mathbf{Z}} \newcommand{\bba}{\mathbf{a}} \newcommand{\bbb}{\mathbf{b}} \newcommand{\bbc}{\mathbf{c}} \newcommand{\bbd}{\mathbf{d}} \newcommand{\bbe}{\mathbf{e}} \newcommand{\bbf}{\mathbf{f}} \newcommand{\bbg}{\mathbf{g}} \newcommand{\bbh}{\mathbf{h}} \newcommand{\bbk}{\mathbf{k}} \newcommand{\bbl}{\mathbf{l}} \newcommand{\bbm}{\mathbf{m}} \newcommand{\bbn}{\mathbf{n}} \newcommand{\bbp}{\mathbf{p}} \newcommand{\bbq}{\mathbf{q}} \newcommand{\bbr}{\mathbf{r}} \newcommand{\bbs}{\mathbf{s}} \newcommand{\bbt}{\mathbf{t}} \newcommand{\bbu}{\mathbf{u}} \newcommand{\bbv}{\mathbf{v}} \newcommand{\bbw}{\mathbf{w}} \newcommand{\bbx}{\mathbf{x}} \newcommand{\bby}{\mathbf{y}} \newcommand{\bbz}{\mathbf{z}} \newcommand{\0}{\mathbf{0}} \newcommand{\1}{\mathbf{1}} % Caligraphic english alphabet \newcommand{\cA}{\mathcal{A}} \newcommand{\cB}{\mathcal{B}} \newcommand{\cC}{\mathcal{C}} \newcommand{\cD}{\mathcal{D}} \newcommand{\cE}{\mathcal{E}} \newcommand{\cF}{\mathcal{F}} \newcommand{\cG}{\mathcal{G}} \newcommand{\cH}{\mathcal{H}} \newcommand{\cI}{\mathcal{I}} \newcommand{\cJ}{\mathcal{J}} \newcommand{\cK}{\mathcal{K}} \newcommand{\cL}{\mathcal{L}} \newcommand{\cM}{\mathcal{M}} \newcommand{\cN}{\mathcal{N}} \newcommand{\cO}{\mathcal{O}} \newcommand{\cP}{\mathcal{P}} \newcommand{\cQ}{\mathcal{Q}} \newcommand{\cR}{\mathcal{R}} \newcommand{\cS}{\mathcal{S}} \newcommand{\cT}{\mathcal{T}} \newcommand{\cU}{\mathcal{U}} \newcommand{\cV}{\mathcal{V}} \newcommand{\cW}{\mathcal{W}} \newcommand{\cX}{\mathcal{X}} \newcommand{\cY}{\mathcal{Y}} \newcommand{\cZ}{\mathcal{Z}} % Formatting shortcuts \newcommand{\red}[1]{\textcolor{red}{#1}} \newcommand{\blue}[1]{\textcolor{blue}{#1}} \newcommand{\htext}[2]{\texorpdfstring{#1}{#2}} % Statistics \newcommand{\distr}{\sim} \newcommand{\stddev}{\sigma} \newcommand{\covmatrix}{\Sigma} \newcommand{\mean}{\mu} \newcommand{\param}{\theta} \newcommand{\gthEst}{\hat{\theta}} \newcommand{\ftr}{\phi} \newcommand{\est}[1]{\hat{#1}} % General utility \newcommand{\todo}[1]{\textbf{[TODO]}] \footnote{TODO: #1}} \newcommand{\tbc}{[\textbf{Incomplete}]} \newcommand{\chk}{[\textbf{Check}]} \newcommand{\why}{[\textbf{Find proof}]} \newcommand{\opt}[1]{\textit{#1}} \newcommand{\experience}[1]{[\textbf{Personal Experience}]: #1 \blacktriangle} \newcommand{\pf}[1]{[\textbf{Proof}]: #1 \Box} \newcommand{\core}[1]{\textbf{Core Idea}: #1 \Arrowvert} \newcommand{\example}[1]{\textbf{Example}: #1 \blacktriangle} \newcommand{\error}[1]{\textbf{Error alert}: #1 \triangle} \newcommand{\oprob}{[\textbf{OP}]: } \renewcommand{\~}{\htext{$\sim$}{~}} \DeclareMathOperator*{\argmin}{arg\,min} \DeclareMathOperator*{\argmax}{arg\,max} \)

Selectivity

S.K. Belvalkar’s advice to the great Prakrit scholar A.N. Upadhye (August 21, 1939):

Just one word of caution from an elder colleague in the line: anantapāram kila sabda-śāstram, and at your age and with your energy there is the temptation to attempt everything. It often leads to a crop of unfinished projects, which weigh heavily upon you as you approach the end of your journey. Please therefore do choose the very best and the highest that you want to achieve and just concentrate upon that. Let the lesser works be left severely alone.

Secondly, the niceties of scholarship are good in their own way; but one must not lose the wood for trees. Works which smell too much of the midnight lamp and indulge in an uncalled-for display of scholarship do not do half as much good to the society as certain other less profound but eminently practical publications. There is always the golden mean, which it requires a wise man to choose.