Quotes by Math Some of the greatest advances in mathematics have been due to the invention of symbols, which it afterwards became necessary to explain; from the minus sign proceeded the whole theory of negative quantities. Aldous Huxley invention math negative "The most powerful single idea in mathematics is the notion of a variable." Alexander Dewdney powerful education math The introduction of the cipher 0 or the group concept was general nonsense too, and mathematics was more or less stagnating for thousands of years because nobody was around to take such childish steps. Alexander Grothendieck groups math years The question you raise, 'How can such a formulation lead to computations?' doesn't bother me in the least! Throughout my whole life as a mathematician, the possibility of making explicit, elegant computations has always come out by itself, as a byproduct of a thorough conceptual understanding of what was going on. Thus I never bothered about whether what would come out would be suitable for this or that, but just tried to understand - and it always turned out that understanding was all that mattered. Alexander Grothendieck understanding would-be math I am not really doing research, just trying to cultivate myself. Alexander Grothendieck research math trying See skulking Truth to her old cavern fled, Mountains of Casuistry heap'd o'er her head! Philosophy, that lean'd on Heav'n before, Shrinks to her second cause, and is no more. Physic of Metaphysic begs defence, And Metaphysic calls for aid on Sense! See Mystery to Mathematics fly! Alexander Pope mountain math philosophy Order is heaven's first law. Alexander Pope math happiness order Inspiration is needed in geometry, just as much as in poetry. Alexander Pushkin poetry math inspirational Today I said to the calculus students, "I know, you're looking at this series and you don't see what I'm warning you about. You look and it and you think, 'I trust this series. I would take candy from this series. I would get in a car with this series.' But I'm going to warn you, this series is out to get you. Always remember: The harmonic series diverges. Never forget it." Alexandre Borovik education math thinking One's work may be finished someday, but one's education never. Alexandre Dumas teaching education math The mathematical life of a mathematician is short. Work rarely improves after the age of twenty-five or thirty. If little has been accomplished by then, little will ever be accomplished. Alfred Adler work math life Each generation has its few great mathematicians, and mathematics would not even notice the absence of the others. They are useful as teachers, and their research harms no one, but it is of no importance at all. A mathematician is great or he is nothing. Alfred Adler math teacher science It is a profoundly erroneous truism, repeated by all copy books and by eminent people when they are making speeches, that we should cultivate the habit of thinking of what we are doing. The precise opposite is the case. Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking about them. Alfred North Whitehead math book thinking It is more important that a proposition be interesting than that it be true. This statement is almost a tautology. For the energy of operation of a proposition in an occasion of experience is its interest and is its importance. But of course a true proposition is more apt to be interesting than a false one. Alfred North Whitehead important math interesting Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude. Alfred North Whitehead mind math life The point about zero is that we do not need to use it in the operation of daily life. No one goes out to buy zero fish. Alfred North Whitehead zero math needs Apart from blunt truth, our lives sink decadently amid the perfume of hints and suggestions. Alfred North Whitehead truth math life The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit. Alfred North Whitehead madness spirit math The science of pure mathematics, in its modern developments, may claim to be the most original creation of the human spirit. Alfred North Whitehead development math may Everything of importance has been said before by somebody who did not discover it. Alfred North Whitehead wisdom math science «1234567891011»