[mathgenius]

That's about how to solve problems, but to do research you need to find good problems, and that turns out to be more important, imo. How do you pick "major problem X" anyway? This strategy from Tao just leads to incremental results...

[fn-mote]

1. If Tao (a Fields medalist) is telling you a process to follow, a dismissal of "just leads to incremental results" requires more evidence than just a bald claim. IMO, he's giving away his working process for free.

2. If "all" you want is tenure at a research 1 institution in the us, there's a lot to be said for this process. Another ingredient is "pick an area where other people will be interested in the results."

PS I don't know what to make of your username, but perhaps you have more to say about picking a problem... in which case I'm sure many of us would love to hear it.