Working mathematician here --
1. Langlands is indeed a great mathematician, whose work has been enormously influential.
2. Most of us aren't all that eccentric. He wrote his paper in Russian, a language which he (presumably) does not natively speak, apparently just for the heck of it? That's just weird.
Most of the mathematicians I know, including the most influential ones, are relatively normal people. And they want as many people to read their work as possible, and don't throw up artificial roadblocks. (Most working mathematicians cannot read or write Russian.)
3. There is not that big of a conflict between pure and applied mathematicians. (Except when they're competing for money, or trying to decide whom to hire in their departments.)
The most common attitude among pure mathematicians is: we work on mathematical questions for their own sake, and don't think too much about applications to the "real world" -- but we are happy if it is brought to our attention that such applications exist.
1. Langlands is indeed a great mathematician, whose work has been enormously influential.
2. Most of us aren't all that eccentric. He wrote his paper in Russian, a language which he (presumably) does not natively speak, apparently just for the heck of it? That's just weird.
Most of the mathematicians I know, including the most influential ones, are relatively normal people. And they want as many people to read their work as possible, and don't throw up artificial roadblocks. (Most working mathematicians cannot read or write Russian.)
3. There is not that big of a conflict between pure and applied mathematicians. (Except when they're competing for money, or trying to decide whom to hire in their departments.)
The most common attitude among pure mathematicians is: we work on mathematical questions for their own sake, and don't think too much about applications to the "real world" -- but we are happy if it is brought to our attention that such applications exist.