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n Mathematical Quotations
Introduction
These 20-odd quotes come from a variety of sources, from Wikipedia, to the
MacTutor library, to other collections of quotes, to things I’ve overheard. It’s impossible,
sadly, for me to figure out exactly where I heard each of these things — at least a couple are
probably apocryphal, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend using this as a primary source for
anything.
They’re loosely organised, sometimes funny, generally thoughtful — like I try to be.
This is a taster for the “where n ~ 100” version — a much bigger and more interesting
book.
These 20-odd quotes come from a variety of sources, from Wikipedia, to the
MacTutor library, to other collections of quotes, to things I’ve overheard. It’s impossible,
sadly, for me to figure out exactly where I heard each of these things — at least a couple are
probably apocryphal, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend using this as a primary source for
anything.
They’re loosely organised, sometimes funny, generally thoughtful — like I try to be.
This is a taster for the “where n ~ 100” version — a much bigger and more interesting
book.
13 pages, ebook
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 16, 2020
Some of my favorites. Do you have any?
“Young man, in mathematics, you don’t understand things. You just get used to them.”
— John von Neumann (1903-1957), polymath, quantum theorist, father of game
theory
“Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whenever you say something to them, they translate it into their own language, and at once it is something entirely different.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
“What science can there be more noble, more excellent, more useful for men, more admirably high and demonstrative, than this of the mathematics?”
— Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), hero.
“There are two ways to do great mathematics. The first way is to be smarter than everybody else. The second way is to be stupider than everybody else -- but persistent.”
— Raoul Bott (1923-2005)
“I wouldn’t even think about playing music if I was born in these times… I’d probably turn to something like mathematics. That would interest me.”
— Bob Dylan (1941-), great songwriter, curmudgeon.
“Young man, in mathematics, you don’t understand things. You just get used to them.”
— John von Neumann (1903-1957), polymath, quantum theorist, father of game
theory
“Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whenever you say something to them, they translate it into their own language, and at once it is something entirely different.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
“What science can there be more noble, more excellent, more useful for men, more admirably high and demonstrative, than this of the mathematics?”
— Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), hero.
“There are two ways to do great mathematics. The first way is to be smarter than everybody else. The second way is to be stupider than everybody else -- but persistent.”
— Raoul Bott (1923-2005)
“I wouldn’t even think about playing music if I was born in these times… I’d probably turn to something like mathematics. That would interest me.”
— Bob Dylan (1941-), great songwriter, curmudgeon.
Displaying 1 of 1 review