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pure mathematics

pure mathematics

1 7.5
Study of ideas and patterns in numbers and shapes without practical use
  • noun
  • /pjʊr ˌmæθəˈmætɪks/
translation icon : matemáticas puras
  • Many students find that pure mathematics offers a refreshing challenge beyond practical applications.

People like James Lindsay with a PhD in pure mathematics.

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Examples

  • This statement is not a matter of politics, opinion, taste, or in any other way a value judgment; it is a fundamental law of nature, which follows directly from pure mathematics in the general vicinity of the works of Turing.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And he says of pure mathematics, if it can be justified at all, it must be as a work of art.

  • But the more they looked into it, the more they found themselves having to learn about pure mathematics concepts called Galois fields.

  • Fran had done good, if undistinguished, work in pure mathematics all her life.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • As Betty Jo Teeter Dobbs has pointed out, the grand scheme of developing a comprehensive philosophy of nature lay beyond the realm of pure mathematics.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The natural sciences have been able to maintain their standards, thanks to their prestige and the acknowledged usefulness of their technological applications. Though some of their less useful fields, such as pure mathematics, theoretical physics, or taxonomic biology, are receiving less support than they deserve.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The totality of our so-called knowledge or beliefs, from the most casual matters of geography and history to the profoundest laws of atomic physics or even of pure mathematics and logic, is a man-made fabric that impinges on experience only along the edges.

    Blog text (2)
  • The beauty of pure mathematics lies in its ability to explore abstract concepts without any focus on real-world use.

  • Her passion for pure mathematics led her to study theories that have no immediate practical application.

Synonyms

math
vspure mathematics
  • Informal
709 1.0

The study of numbers, shapes, and patterns

concerns theoretical structure rather than broad practical subjects
mathematics
vspure mathematics
157 3.7

Study of numbers, shapes, and patterns used to solve problems

focuses only on theoretical foundations and structure not on practical application
maths
vspure mathematics
  • UK
1.2

The study of numbers, shapes, and amounts used to solve problems

focuses on theoretical foundations rather than general study
mathematic
vspure mathematics
  • Archaic
9.9

The study of numbers, shapes, and their relationships

is the modern usage referring to theoretical branches

Antonyms

applied mathematics
  • Specialized
2 3.8

Part of math that uses methods to solve real-world problems in science and engineering

How Theoretical

pure mathematics
1 7.5
theoretics
  • Specialized
8.8
numerical analysis
  • Specialized
1 7.4
applied mathematics
  • Specialized
2 3.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

pure + mathematics

The adjective 'pure' (meaning not mixed or focused on theory rather than practice) combined with 'mathematics' straightforwardly yields 'mathematics concerned with theory rather than application.' This compositional reading is common cross-linguistically (e.g., Spanish 'matemáticas puras', French 'mathématiques pures') and a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Pure mathematics started from the idea of something pure—clean and not mixed with anything—so people imagined math kept apart from practical use. That's why pure mathematics means studying math for its own 'theory' rather than for direct 'applications'.