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It is well-known that many great mathematicians were prodigies.

Were there any great mathematicians who started off later in life?

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    $\begingroup$ Am I the only one bothered by "well-known" and "great"? Unqualified by context, these are unreliable terms at best. $\endgroup$
    – Yemon Choi
    Oct 31, 2009 at 21:09
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    $\begingroup$ So is "prodigy." But I think the intent of the question is clear. $\endgroup$ Oct 31, 2009 at 21:12
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    $\begingroup$ My only response is a strong desire to go in and add <sup>[citation needed]</sup> to the first sentence. $\endgroup$ Apr 25, 2010 at 2:23
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    $\begingroup$ I'm 26, currently in my last semester undergrad. studying Physics and Mathematics. You have no idea how encouraging this thread is. $\endgroup$ Feb 26, 2015 at 20:46
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    $\begingroup$ This question helped me despite having been deemed "unlikely to help any future visitors." $\endgroup$
    – j0equ1nn
    Oct 23, 2015 at 3:51

33 Answers 33

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I don't know if Jean van Heijenoort counts as great, but his life story is amazing.

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In the early 90's, I had a colleague who had been a professional tennis player before going back to a PhD thesis in mathematics. I'll hide his name since he is now in the middle of his career.

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Unfortunately, all these exceptions appear to be reaches, thus proving the rule.

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    $\begingroup$ Uh,Wierstrauss was 42 when he got his doctorate in an age when people barely made it to 65-how is that a reach? Old people aren't supposed to succeed,that's what it boils down to.It's a real tragic prejudice. $\endgroup$ Apr 24, 2010 at 22:56
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    $\begingroup$ There were so many answers given here, and so many mathematicians out there, that one 42-year-old does not really refute the conclusion. (But thanks, I did glance at the Weierstrauss link without finding that age.) Amassing a pile of evidence saying that nearly all great mathematicians did not do their great work late in life is not the same as advancing a premise that says mathematicians shouldn't do great things late in life. p.s. I am in my 40's and not very concerned about my age in relation to math (or other things). Oh, and I believe my best work is yet to come! $\endgroup$ Apr 26, 2010 at 22:55
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    $\begingroup$ Eric,I think there's more then a dozen good examples here at this post alone other then Weirstrauss so far.I'm over 35 and spent my adult life caring for dying loved ones before becoming ill myself.I'm a master's degree student struggling with my health and still working for a PHD. Life isn't a straight line and the profession seems mired in Hardy Preconception-my point is there are PLENTY of counterexamples and as lifespans continue to increase,I think such cases will proliferate and become more common. $\endgroup$ Apr 29, 2010 at 20:22
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