G. H. Hardy
Godfrey Harold Hardy FRS (7 February 1877 – 1 December 1947) was an English mathematician, known for his achievements in number theory and mathematical analysis. In biology, he is known for the Hardy–Weinberg principle, a basic principle of population genetics.
G. H. Hardy | |
|---|---|
Hardy, c. 1927 | |
| Born | Godfrey Harold Hardy 7 February 1877 Cranleigh, Surrey, England |
| Died | 1 December 1947 (aged 70) Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Hardy–Weinberg principle Hardy–Ramanujan asymptotic formula Critical line theorem Hardy–Littlewood tauberian theorem Hardy space Hardy notation Hardy–Littlewood inequality Hardy's inequality Hardy's theorem Hardy–Littlewood circle method Hardy field Hardy–Littlewood zeta-function conjectures |
| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society Smith's Prize (1901) Royal Medal (1920) De Morgan Medal (1929) Chauvenet Prize (1932) Sylvester Medal (1940) Copley Medal (1947) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge University of Oxford |
| Academic advisors | A. E. H. Love E. T. Whittaker |
| Doctoral students | Mary Cartwright I. J. Good Edward Linfoot Cyril Offord Harry Pitt Richard Rado Robert Rankin Donald Spencer Tirukkannapuram Vijayaraghavan E. M. Wright |
| Other notable students | Sydney Chapman Edward Titchmarsh Ethel Newbold |
G. H. Hardy is usually known by those outside the field of mathematics for his 1940 essay A Mathematician's Apology, often considered one of the best insights into the mind of a working mathematician written for the layperson.
Starting in 1914, Hardy was the mentor of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, a relationship that has become celebrated. Hardy almost immediately recognised Ramanujan's extraordinary albeit untutored brilliance, and Hardy and Ramanujan became close collaborators. In an interview by Paul Erdős, when Hardy was asked what his greatest contribution to mathematics was, Hardy unhesitatingly replied that it was the discovery of Ramanujan. In a lecture on Ramanujan, Hardy said that "my association with him is the one romantic incident in my life".: 2