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Intellectual inheritance
I've known since I came to Cambridge that my PhD supervisor Ian Craw was supervised by Graham Allan, who has the office above mine. Through the Mathematics Genealogy Project I've discovered that Graham's supervisor was Frank Smithies, and his supervisor was G.H.Hardy.
I never met Smithies, but he was still active around Cambridge when I arrived, and I know people who knew him well.
Hardy is the big name in early 20th century Cambridge mathematics. While I do not share his disdain for mathematics which could be useful, I'm thrilled to discover that I'm so close to the intellectual heart of my subject.
I never met Smithies, but he was still active around Cambridge when I arrived, and I know people who knew him well.
Hardy is the big name in early 20th century Cambridge mathematics. While I do not share his disdain for mathematics which could be useful, I'm thrilled to discover that I'm so close to the intellectual heart of my subject.