What does this Quote by G. H. Hardy mean?

Question

Can anyone please explain this Quote precisely because I am only a novice in the field of English. If you could please explain in terms of Mathematics.

The Quote is :

In these days of conflict between ancient and modern studies, there must surely be something to be said for a study which did not begin with Pythagoras, and will not end with Einstein, but is the oldest and the youngest of all. - G. H. Hardy

In this sentence, I am unable to understand the logical sequence of the sentence formation.

Answer 1

These days = nowadays

These days are characterized by a conflict over "ancient and modern studies".

"There must surely be something to be said for {something}" = {something} deserves to be recognized and appreciated.

What is the {something}? It is "a study".

What kind of study is it?

It is a study which did not begin with Pythagoras, and will not end with Einstein.

That is, it existed before Pythagoras and will continue to exist (and develop) after Einstein.

Thus it is the oldest ( older than Pythagoras) and the youngest ( as contemporary as Einstein and eventually more contemporary than Einstein) study of all (studies). And since it has the dual characteristic of being very old and very new, it deserves attention in this time of conflict over ancient and modern studies. People who wish to study the old can study it. People who wish to study the new can study it.