A Mathematician's Apology is the famous essay by British mathematician G. H. Hardy. It concerns the aesthetics of mathematics with some personal content and gives the layman an insight into the mind of a working mathematician. It is an attempt to justify and explain, pure mathematics. One of the main themes of the book is the beauty that mathematics possesses, which Hardy compares to painting and poetry. G. H. Hardy (7 Feb 1877 - 1 Dec 1947) was an eccentric British mathematician who worked extensively in mathematical ...
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A Mathematician's Apology is the famous essay by British mathematician G. H. Hardy. It concerns the aesthetics of mathematics with some personal content and gives the layman an insight into the mind of a working mathematician. It is an attempt to justify and explain, pure mathematics. One of the main themes of the book is the beauty that mathematics possesses, which Hardy compares to painting and poetry. G. H. Hardy (7 Feb 1877 - 1 Dec 1947) was an eccentric British mathematician who worked extensively in mathematical analysis and analytical number theory alongside J.E Littlewood. He is perhaps even better known for his adoption and mentoring of the self-taught Indian mathematical genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan. Hardy wanted his work to be referred to as pure mathematics rather than applied mathematics. In his view, mathematics was not something to be used in social destruction and to fulfill political purposes.
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This book contains the longest forward I have ever encountered, and the forward is worth the price of the book. The thoughts and history of these 20th century events will fascinate anyone with an interest in math.
AdeshKSeuraj
Jul 9, 2009
What is the cause for which we live humbly?,
For Hardy, it was Mathematical Creativity. His last great work, "A Mathematician's Apology" represents one man's dissolution and subsequent crystallization of lament, despair, and acceptance: the same that will inevitably veil us all, perhaps not though, to the same extent. I believe Hardy's trepidations surrounding death had less to do with corporeal existence than acknowledging the slow demise of his postcard universe of a bygone Cambridge - that Ivory Tower teeming with the greatest minds of his generation, all players in the graceful game of numbers.
Credit must also be given to C.P Snow. His foreword to the Author, forestalls any bias we may have before Hardy makes his personal introduction, and Snow is careful not to daub exaggerations or hypocritical praises, balancing sixteen years of acquaintanceship quite comprehensively in his short introduction. His part, though asymmetric in comparision with Hardy's, is nonetheless equally important
