Math and madness.
Many omists and psychologists
mathematicians were
depressed and religious at the
same time. Which famous
mathematician invented the
concept of “transfinite num-
bers” (essentially, different
“levels” of infinity), believed
that God revealed mathemati-
cal ideas to him, and was a
frequent guest of sanitari-
ums? (See Answer 1.17.)
Mathematics and diapering.
“A human being should be
able to change a diaper,
plan an invasion, butcher a
hog, conn a ship, design a
building, write a sonnet, bal-
ance accounts, build a wall,
set a bone, comfort the dying,
take orders, give orders,
cooperate, act alone, solve
equations, analyze a new
problem, pitch manure, pro-
gram a computer, cook a
tasty meal, fight efficiently,
die gallantly. Specialization
is for insects” (Robert A.
Heinlein, Time Enough for
Love, 1973).
Mathematicians and God.
“Mathematicians, astrono-
mers, and physicists are often
religious, even mystical; biol-
ogists much less often; econ-
some of his enemies that he
very seldom indeed. It is as was an evil magician.
their subject matter comes In Reims, he transformed
nearer to man himself that the floor of the cathedral into
their antireligious bias hard- a giant abacus. That must
ens” (C. S. Lewis, The Grand have been a sight to see! The
Miracle: And Other Selected “Number Pope” was also
Essays on Theology and important because he adopted
Ethics from God in the Dock, Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4,
1983). 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) as a replacement
for Roman numerals. He
contributed to the invention
of the pendulum clock,
The Number Pope. As I invented devices that tracked
write this book, I realize that planetary orbits, and wrote on
a thousand years ago, the last geometry. When he realized
Pope-mathematician died. that he lacked knowledge of
Gerbert of Aurillac (c. 946– formal logic, he studied
1003) was fascinated by under German logicians. He
mathematics and was elected said, “The just man lives by
to be Pope Sylvester II in faith; but it is good that he
999. His advanced knowledge should combine science with
of mathematics convinced his faith.”
Hardy’s six wishes. In the 1920s, the British mathematician
G. H. Hardy wrote a postcard to his friend, listing six New
Year’s wishes:
1. prove the Riemann hypothesis
2. score well at the end of an important game of cricket
3. find an argument for the nonexistence of God that con-
vinces the general public
4. be the first man at the top of Mount Everest
5. be the first president of the USSR, Great Britain, and
Germany
6. murder Mussolini
(The London Mathematical Society Newsletter, 1994)
Numbers, History, Society, and People 23