Disciplines in mathematics assume you're familiar with that discipline's shorthand, constants and common forms. Also, you're not expected to read them as you're able to read a book. If it's 100% your niche specialty then maybe you could, but spending and hour or two puzzling out a broad understanding of a paper is absolutely normal, even for math academics.
It can feel like that, though I'm sure it's (mostly) not deliberate.
Also the sudden jump from straightforward to incomprehensible, accompanied by a comment from the author along the lines of "well duh"