[chongli]

Mathematics is extremely hard. The math people are expected to know for high school is not hard, but that is such a minuscule amount of math compared to what we (humans) know, collectively.

Mathematicians do speak and also write books about the thinking process. It’s just very difficult and individualized. It’s a nonlinear process with false starts and dead ends, as you say.

But you can’t really be told what it feels like. You have to experience it for yourself.