Why Isn't There a Nobel Prize in Mathematics?

For a long time, people have questioned the lack of Nobel Prizes in Math. Many people believe that the lack stems from the fallout that Abel had with a Swiss Mathematician, Gosta Magnus. The man was rumored to have gotten involved with Abel’s love interest. When Abel discovered the affair, he did away with the inclusion of Math in the list.

The story is quite impressive. However, it cannot get proven as there is nothing to back it up. As such, it remains to be just that, a story. First off, Alfred was not married at the time of the decision. There are claims that he had a mistress, but there is no proof that she got involved with a mathematician. Thanks to the lack of evidence on these allegations, the reasons for the lack of the prize had to be objective rather than subjective.

Anecdotes

It gets said that Alfred decided not to have a Math Nobel Prize for fear that Gosta would end up taking the award, thanks to his prowess in the field. The story makes for an entertaining reason for the lack of an award. Alfred dated many women but was never said to be in a commitment with one.

Another story goes that Alfred did not get along with Gosta and he decided to exclude Math from the awards. The trouble with this tale is that there seems to be no evidence which can prove that there was a feud. Nobody can confirm that the two men ever met.

There are some sensible explanations for the lack of the award. People say that Alfred lacked an interest in Math and failed to see how the field would be beneficial to the society.

The award was a way to honor subjects in which Alfred expressed an interest. As such, his failure to include Math implied that he could not see how the field would positively impact the society. Alfred decided to honor the subjects which were most critical to the development of the community. He thought that Math was more theoretical than practical.

Others also feel that given that there was a Swedish prize for Math at the time; Abel may have thought that another was not necessary. Mathematicians can still bag awards for their achievements during ceremonies such as the Fields Medal. Though we may never know the reasons behind the lack of inclusion of this crucial subject, we can agree that it is a relevant field.