<p>I don’t think the analog of top athletes to the greatest mathematicians holds true. Sure, practice and dedication can help out but feel that some people are born with an extraordinary gift with numbers, be it an autistic savant or just a natural understanding. Heck, G.H Hardy and other mathematicians lamented over how they had lost their creative genius at their old age and their intellectual prime was only during their youth.</p>
<p>Most the top athletes carry a similar trait that they have practiced relentlessly and often started at a young age. In addition, athletics relies on physical attributes, something that can be conditioned over time. Mathematics, especially pure math, relies on a creativity and logical ingenuity that can be innate. </p>
<p>Of course, I specifically argue this point for the “Great Mathematicians” such as Ramanujan, who possessed a natural ability that astounded even G.H Hardy. True practice can make you a good and gifted mathematician but I feel that there is something innate that separates the good from the greatest.</p>