Book Report on Hardy’s A Mathematician’s Apology A Mathematician’s Apology is a book written by G. H. Hardy in 1940. He talked about the beauty of real mathematics and the importance of it from his perspective. Throughout the book, Hardy was expressing his deep love for mathematics, and meanwhile, defending his position as a theoretical researcher. He wanted us to consider the value of mathematics in a pure context rather than in terms of applications in industrial technology or military motivations.
For people who are doing research, they always consider why they are doing it, regardless of its value, and Hardy stated that people have similar logic behind their answers to this. He asserted that the optimal choice is to specialize in whatever …show more content…
The underlying scorn for ‘‘utility’’ and ‘‘usefulness’’ is an indication of Hardy’s dissatisfaction with these widely accepted notions. The significance of math, according to Hardy, does not reside in the practical use of it, but the more meaningful content that is related to some creative ideas. Thus, he defined usefulness in another way by saying that “for what is useful above all is technique, and mathematical technique is taught mainly through pure mathematics.” For people in social sciences, they care more about predicting behaviors under changes. In both cases, we are able to use math to explain things, but the simplicity that belong to applied mathematics led Hardy to consider them somehow …show more content…
Science is evolving naturally as a consequence of the curiosity of the mind on finding out how things in the world around us work, and how they behave. Every field of study might be able to contribute something to the overall exploration of this world, and the emerging interdisciplinary studies are undoubtedly important as well. The value of any research lies not merely in its direct application but also in a better understanding of knowledge that is created and
For people who are doing research, they always consider why they are doing it, regardless of its value, and Hardy stated that people have similar logic behind their answers to this. He asserted that the optimal choice is to specialize in whatever …show more content…
The underlying scorn for ‘‘utility’’ and ‘‘usefulness’’ is an indication of Hardy’s dissatisfaction with these widely accepted notions. The significance of math, according to Hardy, does not reside in the practical use of it, but the more meaningful content that is related to some creative ideas. Thus, he defined usefulness in another way by saying that “for what is useful above all is technique, and mathematical technique is taught mainly through pure mathematics.” For people in social sciences, they care more about predicting behaviors under changes. In both cases, we are able to use math to explain things, but the simplicity that belong to applied mathematics led Hardy to consider them somehow …show more content…
Science is evolving naturally as a consequence of the curiosity of the mind on finding out how things in the world around us work, and how they behave. Every field of study might be able to contribute something to the overall exploration of this world, and the emerging interdisciplinary studies are undoubtedly important as well. The value of any research lies not merely in its direct application but also in a better understanding of knowledge that is created and