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« On the Diminution of Knowledge | Main | Ho ho HO! This is a funny book. »

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{ Sunday, November 30, 2003 }

Unexpected and Inevitable

In the current Believer, in an article comparing difficult mathematical problems with difficult peaks, there is a quote from number theorist G. H. Hardy, which David Auburn, author of a book on mathematical proofs, thinks an excellent description of playwriting:

In a good proof, there is a very high degree of unexpectedness, combined with inevitability and economy. The argument takes so odd and surprising a form: the weapons used seem so childishly simple when compared with the far-reaching consequences; but here is no escape from the conclusions.

It is an excellent description of all kinds of works of genius; Hofstadter, in his Chopin essay in Metamagical Themas points out the same simplicity, inevitability and surprisingness in the composer's music. (Was Chopin a homely dude or what?)

LINK | 5:14 PM | TB

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{ COMMENTS }

Homely, yes, and probably not a teetotaller.

Jim | November 30, 2003 5:56 PM

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I was as disappointed as anybody when Gardner ended his 'Mathematical Games' column at Scientific American. Who could possibly replace him? But along came Hofstadter. The title of his clever new column 'Metamagical Themas' was of course an anagram of 'Mathematical Games.'

Hardy was of course the sponsor of the prodigy Ramanujan. And, in his book GEB, Hofstadter quotes Hardy's characterization of Ramanujan's intelligence and puts it forth as an apt description of intelligence in general:

"...He combined a power of generalization, a feeling for form, and a capacity for rapid modification of his hypotheses that were often really startling..."

ricardo | November 30, 2003 6:28 PM

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Correction, David Auburn is the author of a play called "Proof" which won the Pulitzer a few years back. Your sentence makes him sound like a mathematician, which I don't think he is.

Mi | December 2, 2003 1:32 PM

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I think Fryderyk looks like Terry Jones from Monty Python in that picture. But he would have to be dressed in drag for me to be really sure.

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