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Henri Poincare Quotes - Page 5

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Hypotheses are what we lack the least.

Hypotheses are what we lack the least.

Henri Poincare
Hypothesis
Henri Poincare (2012). “The Value of Science: Essential Writings of Henri Poincare”, p.225, Modern Library

Geometry is not true, it is advantageous.

Henri Poincare
Truth, Science, Mathematical

Just as houses are made of stones, so is science made of facts.

Henri Poincare
House, Stones, Facts
"Half a Twist on a Cliche Speech" by Adriana Salerno, blogs.ams.org. May 30, 2011.

It is the simple hypotheses of which one must be most wary; because these are the ones that have the most chances of passing unnoticed.

Henri Poincare
Simple, Chance, Mathematics
"Thermodynamique: Leçons professées pendant le premier semestre 1888 - 1889". Preface to the book by Henri Poincare, 1892.

But for harmony beautiful to contemplate, science would not be worth following.

Henri Poincare
Beauty, Beautiful, Art

A very small cause, which escapes us, determines a considerable effect which we cannot ignore, and we say that this effect is due to chance.

Henri Poincare
Science, Causes, Chance

It is a misfortune for a science to be born too late when the means of observation have become too perfect. That is what is happening at this moment with respect to physical chemistry; the founders are hampered in their general grasp by third and fourth decimal places.

Henri Poincare
Mean, Science, Perfect
Henri Poincare (2012). “The Value of Science: Essential Writings of Henri Poincare”, p.236, Modern Library

Need we add that mathematicians themselves are not infallible?

Henri Poincare
Add, Needs, Mathematician
Henri Poincare (2012). “The Value of Science: Essential Writings of Henri Poincare”, p.641, Modern Library

Later generations will regard Mengenlehre (set theory) as a disease from which one has recovered.

Henri Poincare
Math, Disease, Generations

This harmony that human intelligence believes it discovers in nature - does it exist apart from that intelligence? No, without doubt, a reality completely independent of the spirit which conceives it, sees it or feels it, is an impossibility. A world so exterior as that, even if it existed, would be forever inaccessible to us. But what we call objective reality is, in the last analysis, that which is common to several thinking beings, and could be common to all; this common part, we will see, can be nothing but the harmony expressed by mathematical laws.

Henri Poincare
Believe, Independent, Reality

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