“We come finally, however, to the relation of the ideal theory to real world, or "real" probability. If he is consistent a man of the mathematical school washes his hands of applications. To someone who wants them he would say that the ideal system runs parallel to the usual theory: "If this is what you want, try it: it is not my business to justify application of the system; that can only be done by philosophizing; I am a mathematician". In practice he is apt to say: "try this; if it works that will justify it".”
Quote by John Edensor Littlewood
Author
John Edensor Littlewood
John Edensor Littlewood was an outstanding British mathematician known for his contributions to number theory, analysis, and probability theory. His research spanned a wide range of areas including group theory in number theory, number-theoretic functions, and limit theorems in probability theory. more
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