[impendia]

I'm a research mathematician working in Tao's field. I'm not claiming to be as prolific as he is, not by a long shot -- but other mathematicians do understand, critique, develop, and engage with his work. Indeed, many of his papers are collaborative with a variety of other mathematicians.

Picture him as the star player on a basketball team. He may be the strongest player on the court, but he's still playing the same game as everyone around him.

[squirrellous]

Yes I’m stretching this a bit, and certainly don’t mean this as a slight on Tao’s peers. That said I’m sure there’s someone out there who fits this description better. I was picturing a modern-day Ramanujan in my mind.

[impendia]

I certainly didn't take it as a slight against myself. Rather, I've met Tao and several other top mathematicians, and I don't imagine any of them would say they fit that description.

Indeed, Tao himself has written criticism of the "cult of genius":

https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/does-one-have-t...