Korteweg urged Brouwer to concentrate on more "respectable" mathematics, so that the young man might enhance his mathematical reputation and thus secure an academic career. Brouwer was fiercely independent and did not follow in anybody's footsteps, but he apparently took his teacher's advice...
Korteweg urged Brouwer sa pag-isiping sa mas maraming mga "kagalang-galang" matematika, kaya na ng binata maaaring makadagdag sa kanyang matematiko reputasyon at kaya ng isang secure na akademiko karera. Brouwer ay fiercely independent at hindi sumunod sa kahit sino yapak, ngunit siya apparently kinuha ang kanyang mga guro ng payo...