Summary

Chapter 4 – The Housekeeper comes to learn that prime numbers at the Professor’s favorite numbers, and are his favorite thing in the world. The Professor loves to speak of prime numbers, though he often repeats himself. The Housekeeper comes to admire the Professor’s humility, saying very clearly when something about mathematics is not known. The Housekeeper comes to love prime numbers too, for the reason that she can never predict when one will appear. The Professor speaks of twin primes, prime numbers that come in pairs, such as 17 and 19, and 41 and 43. The larger numbers get, the Professor explains, means prime numbers are harder to find. The Housekeeper comes to learn that the Professor hates crowds and the public, for such things are random compared to the pure beauty and certainty of mathematics. For him, this is true peace. The Professor’s highest compliment...