Most of the arts, as
painting, sculpture,
and music, have
emotional appeal to
the general public.
This is because
these arts can be
experienced by some
one or more of our
senses. Such is not
true of the art of
mathematics; this
art can be
appreciated only by
mathematicians, and
to become a
mathematician
requires a long
period of intensive
training. The
community of
mathematicians is
similar to an
imaginary community
of musical composers
whose only
satisfaction is
obtained by the
interchange among
themselves of the
musical scores they
compose.
Citation:
In H. Eves,
Mathematical Circles
Squared, Boston:
Prindle, Weber and
Schmidt, 1972.