A mathematicians-apology.(HTD)pdf

Anyone who is serious about mathematics or is aspiring for a career in the field should seriously consider adding G.H. Hardy’s A Mathematician’s Apology to their reading wishlist. With clever analogies comparing mathematics to other fields of knowledge, the essay itself is brief in length but the content is neither shallow nor lacking in substance. Hardy uses the word apology to convey the intended purpose of his essay, which is solely to defend the study of mathematics as the most rewarding art.

Although Hardy wrote the essay for an audience that is not versed in mathematics, his reasoning pattern remains unmistakably marked by the peculiarity of a first-class mathematician. Therefore, the aforementioned audience will find the essay dry at best, missing all of the mathematical delights that Hardy included in his essay.

The most eminent question that is posed both by mathematicians and lay people revolves around the purpose of mathematics. Hardy defends the study of math through the aesthetics argument, condemning all mathematical research that is done in-itself and not for-itself. Math often proves to be useful in our day-to-day life, but math should
never be created with this end in mind.

More than half a century has passed since Hardy published his essay, and it is now considered public domain material, freely available for download. However, I recommend anyone interested in this topic to purchase the Cambridge edition which has an enlightening foreword by C.P. Snow. In this address, he provides a pictorial account of Hardy’s life as a mathematician.