How does an aspiring mathematician stay motivated in researching pure mathematics?

Hi! I am a high school senior set on becoming a "pure mathematician." Ever since I learned the proof to the quadratic formula in 10th grade, I have been chasing abstract mathematics and working to improve my problem-solving skills. Less than a year ago, I came across a very interesting problem and have yet to solve it; many of the teachers I ask for help are stumped and leave the "discovery process" to me. I have worked on the problem for about 7 months but after making no significant progress, I decided to stop. Therefore, I ask: how do I motivate myself to continue? How do I know if my problem will lead to nowhere? How much time should I be devoting to this problem? #Math #PureMathematics

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