Comment on A Mathematician's Apology (1940) [pdf]parentComments−nextos10yI like Hardy, but I dislike his ageism here too.Erdős is a good counterexample to his argument. Even Euler. Many famous mathematicians have produced good work late in their lives.−getbucknaked10yErdos isn't a counter-example to anything. I mean I agree with you. Old people can do math. Look at Yitang Zheng. But Erdos is the exception to every rule ever.−paulddraper10yDoesn't that make him the counter example to everything :)−ttflee10yYitang Zhang, not Zheng.−getbucknaked10yOh darn it. I originally spelled it Yiteng Zheng..I caught one typo. thanks−sn4110yG. D. Birkhoff proved the Ergodic Theorem when he was nearly 50. It is one of the high points of twentieth century analysis.
Comments
I like Hardy, but I dislike his ageism here too.
Erdős is a good counterexample to his argument. Even Euler. Many famous mathematicians have produced good work late in their lives.
Erdos isn't a counter-example to anything. I mean I agree with you. Old people can do math. Look at Yitang Zheng. But Erdos is the exception to every rule ever.
Doesn't that make him the counter example to everything :)
Yitang Zhang, not Zheng.
Oh darn it. I originally spelled it Yiteng Zheng..I caught one typo. thanks
G. D. Birkhoff proved the Ergodic Theorem when he was nearly 50. It is one of the high points of twentieth century analysis.