A Mathematician's Apology  (English, Paperback, Hardy G. H.)

A Mathematician’s Apology is Hardy’s attempt to provide lay persons with an understanding into the mental framework of a mathematician and into the philosophical principles of mathematics.

Summary Of The Book

A Mathematician’s Apology was Hardy’s attempt to provide justification for his dedication to the field of mathematics and the use of the word ‘apology’ in the title provides proof for this. Readers will get a first hand look into the mental workings of a man who made many contributions to this field, especially in number theory. Throughout the text, Hardy aims to convince readers with two leading questions: why is it worthwhile to make a career out of mathematics? and what is the proper justification of a mathematician's life?.

There are several themes that readers will come across while perusing through this text. Hardy talks at length about the distinction between pure or real mathematics to applied or practical mathematics. He outwardly denigrated the latter stating that the beauty of pure mathematics is that its essence does not lie within its usefulness nor in its practical applications. The pursuit of pure mathematics is a central part of human creativity not for explanatory purposes and is independent from the material world.

Another core theme that Hardy worked to develop in his book is that mathematics is a pursuit meant for young people. He claimed that with the advancement of age, the ability to seek mathematical truths inversely declined. As Hardy worked to develop this theme, readers will become aware of his depression at not being able to perform as well as he did in this field.

The central point of A Mathematician’s Apology is revealed to readers at the end when Hardy justifies his existence by stating that he perhaps added something to the “knowledge” of pure mathematics.

About G.H. Hardy

Godfrey Hardy, was a member of the Royal Fellows Society and a Mathematician who had made many achievements in mathematics, including in number theory and mathematical analysis.

Apart from A Mathematician’s Apology, Hardy also authored several mathematical texts, namely A Course of Pure Mathematics and An Introduction To The Theory of Numbers. Even though Hardy’s text deals with a very academic subject, his language is clear and concise, appealing to a general audience rather than just the academia.

Most of Hardy’s life was spent conducting research and uncovering mathematical principles at the University of Cambridge. Under his leadership, many doctoral students such as Ramanujan, Pitt and Wright, made valuable contributions to the field of mathematics. Hardy spent his final years under the care of his sister before passing away in 1947.