Pure mathematics: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:07, 16 May 2006

Revision as of 11:11, 26 May 2006

Line 16:

==Purism==

Mathematicians have always had differing opinions regarding the distinction between pure and applied mathematics.

A ''purist'' attitude to mathematics is nothing new. It goes right back to [[Plato]].

One of the clearest modern examples of the debate between the subfields can be found in [[G.H. Hardy]]'s ''[[A Mathematician's Apology]]'', in which the author (a number theorist) attacks applied mathematics, calling it "ugly" and "dull", while comparing pure mathematics to [[painting]] and [[poetry]]. Hardy's love of number theory's apparent uselessness would be later proven unjustified by the development of [[public key cryptography]] and other advanced [[crytographic]] methods which relied heavily on the field.

The question is now more about the roots of mathematical progress — whether they are ''internal'' and generated by [[problem-solving]] suggested by the shape of the subject itself, or ''external''.

==Quotes==