Mathematics Entropy | 05 May 2007
Mathematical Quotations
Mathematical Quotations
http://math.furman.edu/~mwoodard/mqs/mquot.shtml
Drawn from numerous sources by Mark R. Woodard of Furman University, this collection presents insights and reflections from some of the greatest thinkers in mathematics. Their quotations range from the witty to the profound and the personal:
- “Mathematics consists of proving the most obvious thing in the least obvious way.”—George Polyá
- “The riddle does not exist. If a question can be put at all, then it can also be answered.”—Ludwig Wittgenstein
- “Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.”—Blaise Pascal
- “Obvious is the most dangerous word in mathematics.”—Eric Temple Bell
The quotes are presented with admirable simplicity, but with a flexible interface: Users can perform a keyword search, browse the quotes alphabetically by author or even download the entire collection (about 36,000 words).
The best feature may be the random quotation function, which turns up a wonderful variety of perspectives on an endlessly varied discipline. “With me,” Descartes wrote, “everything turns into mathematics.”