Explainer: the point of pure mathematics

I am most fascinated by the topics which are at the borderline between pure and applied. Extremly pure math is a bit depressing to me: mostly extremely high amount of learning is needed to create anything interesting (math is extremely mature already) while there is no product to which you can point and say: it works! (Also, the working product can be appreciated by laymen, while a pure math paper can be appreciated by only those few who understand it.) At the other extreme of the spectrum: maintaining typical business applications in teams (originally programmed by other people) day by day is also demotivating.

That's why my personal heroes are people like John von Neumann (and Alan Turing), who both worked on pure and very practical things.

> math is extremely mature already

Though there's still enough left to be explored, even for a non-genius. But you have to find a virgin area, if you want to stand a good chance of doing something new.

I kept think of Hardy's 'Mathematicians Apology' as I read this. Clearly one is a book the other is a blog, but they felt much the same to me. Enjoyed both.

very nice article