Math Quotes - Page 8

Mathematical Knowledge adds a manly Vigour to the Mind, frees it from Prejudice, Credulity, and Superstition.

People think they don’t understand math, but it’s all about how you explain it to them. If you ask a drunkard what number is larger, 2/3 or 3/5, he won’t be able to tell you. But if you rephrase the question: what is better, 2 bottles of vodka for 3 people or 3 bottles of vodka for 5 people, he will tell you right away: 2 bottles for 3 people, of course.

Pedagogy, like language itself, can either liberate or imprison ideas, inspire of suffocate constructive thinking.

Being exposed to theory, stimulated by a basic love of concepts and mathematics, was a marvelous experience.

Saying no”, argues the author Kevin Ashton, “has more creative power than ideas, insights and talent combined. No guards time, the thread from which we weave our creations. The math of time is simple: you have less than you think and need more than you know.

Math is easy; design is hard.

Obvious is the most dangerous word in mathematics.

Michael Harris opens the doors and gently guides you into a magic world. Once inside, you can't help but feel mesmerized, eager to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. And no wonder: a major thinker of our time is talking to you about math and so much more, like you've never heard before.

We must admit with humility that, while number is purely a product of our minds, space has a reality outside our minds, so that we cannot completely prescribe its properties a priori.

At Harvard I majored in chemistry with a strong inclination toward math.

Mathematics is the supreme judge; from its decisions there is no appeal.

The greatest discoveries of science have always been those that forced us to rethink our beliefs about the universe and our place in it.

Math anxiety: an intense lifelong fear of two trains approaching each other at speeds of 60 and 80 MPH.

It took the mob only a moment to remove his head; a century will not suffice to reproduce it.

It is clear that the chief end of mathematical study must be to make the students think.

What distinguishes a mathematical model from, say, a poem, a song, a portrait or any other kind of "model," is that the mathematical model is an image or picture of reality painted with logical symbols instead of with words, sounds or watercolors.

In mathematics the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.

When things get too complicated, it sometimes makes sense to stop and wonder: Have I asked the right question?

America faces many challenges...but the enemy I fear most is complacency. We are about to be hit by the full force of global competition. If we continue to ignore the obvious task at hand while others beat us at our own game, our children and grandchildren will pay the price. We must now establish a sense of urgency.

One may ask the question as to the extent to which the quest for beauty is an aim in the pursuit of science. . . . It is, indeed, an incredible fact that what the human mind, at its deepest and most profound, perceives as beautiful finds its realization in external nature. What is intelligible is also beautiful.

The trouble with facts is that there are so many of them.

As a kid I quite fancied the romantic, Bohemian idea of being an artist. I expect I thought I could escape from the difficulties of maths and spelling. Maybe I thought I would avoid the judgement of the establishment.

I don't think they understand it's as important as math and science. It rounds you out as a person. I think it gives you a love of certain things. You don't have to become the next great composer. It's just nice to have heard certain things or to have seen certain things. It's part of being a human being.

But mathematics is the sister, as well as the servant, of the arts and is touched with the same madness and genius.

Infinite is a meaningless word: except – it states / The mind is capable of performing / an endless process of addition.