--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had better say something here about…" description: "\"“I had better say something here about this question of age, since it is particularly important for mathematicians. No mathematician should ever allow ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/g-h-hardy-2-30074_mathematicians_i-had-better-say-something-here-about-th_2519440.jpg" --- # I had better say something here about this question of… ![“I had better say something here about this question of age, since it is particularly important for mathematicians. No mathematician should ever allow himself to forget that mathematics, more than any other art or science, is a young man's game. To take a simple illustration at a comparatively…” quote by G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/g-h-hardy-2-30074_mathematicians_i-had-better-say-something-here-about-th_2519440.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/g-h-hardy-2-30074_mathematicians_i-had-better-say-something-here-about-th_2519440.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d9/g-h-hardy-2-30074_mathematicians_i-had-better-say-something-here-about-th_2519440.jpg) > ““I had better say something here about this question of age, since it is particularly important for mathematicians. No mathematician should ever allow himself to forget that mathematics, more than any other art or science, is a young man's game. To take a simple illustration at a comparatively humble level, the average age of election to the Royal Society is lowest in mathematics. We can naturally find much more striking illustrations. We may consider, for example, the career of a man who was certainly one of the world's three greatest mathematicians. Newton gave up mathematics at fifty, and had lost his enthusiasm long before; he had recognized no doubt by the time he was forty that his greatest creative days were over. His greatest idea of all, fluxions and the law of gravitation, came to him about 1666 , when he was twentyfour—'in those days I was in the prime of my age for invention, and minded mathematics and philosophy more than at any time since'. He made big discoveries until he was nearly forty (the 'elliptic orbit' at thirty-seven), but after that he did little but polish and perfect. Galois died at twenty-one, Abel at twenty-seven, Ramanujan at thirty-three, Riemann at forty. There have been men who have done great work a good deal later; Gauss's great memoir on differential geometry was published when he was fifty (though he had had the fundamental ideas ten years before). I do not know an instance of a major mathematical advance initiated by a man past fifty. If a man of mature age loses interest in and abandons mathematics, the loss is not likely to be very serious either for mathematics or for himself.”” [G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hardy argues that mathematics favors youth, citing early achievements of great mathematicians and noting few breakthroughs after fifty. **In simple terms:** Mathematics is a young man's game, with most breakthroughs occurring early. Key Takeaway Focus on early development and mentorship in math. Themes age creativity mathematics career legacy Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic mentorship - research planning - career counseling Key Concepts youth advantage late bloomers historical examples Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions support older mathematicians? - What strategies help sustain mathematical creativity over a lifetime? 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No mathematician should ever allow himself to forget that mathematics, more than any other art or science, is a young man's game. To take a simple illustration at a comparatively humble level, the average age of election to the Royal Society is lowest in mathematics. We can naturally find much more striking illustrations. We may consider, for example, the career of a man who was certainly one of the world's three greatest mathematicians. Newton gave up mathematics at fifty, and had lost his enthusiasm long before; he had recognized no doubt by the time he was forty that his greatest creative days were over. His greatest idea of all, fluxions and the law of gravitation, came to him about 1666 , when he was twentyfour—'in those days I was in the prime of my age for invention, and minded mathematics and philosophy more than at any time since'. He made big discoveries until he was nearly forty (the 'elliptic orbit' at thirty-seven), but after that he did little but polish and perfect. Galois died at twenty-one, Abel at twenty-seven, Ramanujan at thirty-three, Riemann at forty. There have been men who have done great work a good deal later; Gauss's great memoir on differential geometry was published when he was fifty (though he had had the fundamental ideas ten years before). I do not know an instance of a major mathematical advance initiated by a man past fifty. If a man of mature age loses interest in and abandons mathematics, the loss is not likely to be very serious either for mathematics or for himself.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.H. 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