India, Oct. 8 -- Every year, the Nobel Prizes recognise breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics and chemistry to medicine and literature. But there is one subject many people might expect to see on the list that is missing, mathematics. So, did Alfred Nobel deliberately leave mathematics out? And is there really a story involving a mathematician that explains the omission?

The answer begins with Nobel's will. When Alfred Nobel wrote his final will in 1895, he directed that his fortune should fund prizes for people who had conferred the "greatest benefit to humankind". He specified five fields, physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.

Mathematics was not included.

The Nobel Prize's official account of Alfre...