Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice (1902-1984)
In science one tries
to tell people, in
such a way as to be
understood by
everyone, something
that no one ever
knew before. But in
poetry, it's the
exact opposite.
In H. Eves,
Mathematical
Circles Adieu,
Boston: Prindle,
Weber and Schmidt,
1977
Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice (1902-1984)
Mathematics is the
tool specially
suited for dealing
with abstract
concepts of any kind
and there is no
limit to its power
in this field.
In P. J. Davis and
R. Hersh, The
Mathematical
Experience,
Boston: Birkhauser,
1981
Dirac, Paul Adrien Maurice (1902-1984)
I think that there
is a moral to this
story, namely that
it is more important
to have beauty in
one's equations than
to have them fit
experiment. If
Schroedinger had
been more confident
of his work, he
could have published
it some months
earlier, and he
could have published
a more accurate
equation. It seems
that if one is
working from the
point of view of
getting beauty in
one's equations, and
if one has really a
sound insight, one
is on a sure line of
progress. If there
is not complete
agreement between
the results of one's
work and experiment,
one should not allow
oneself to be too
discouraged, because
the discrepancy may
well be due to minor
features that are
not properly taken
into account and
that will get
cleared up with
further development
of the theory.
Scientific
American, May
1963
Diophantus
[His epitaph.]
This tomb hold Diophantus Ah, what a marvel! And the tomb tells scientifically the measure of his life. God vouchsafed that he should be a boy for the sixth part of his life; when a twelfth was added, his cheeks acquired a beard; He kindled for him the light of marriage after a seventh, and in the fifth year after his marriage He granted him a son. Alas! late-begotten and miserable child, when he had reached the measure of half his father's life, the chill grave took him. After consoling his grief by this science of numbers for four years, he reached the end of his life.
In Ivor Thomas Greek Mathematics, in J. R. Newman (ed.) The World of Mathematics, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1956.
De Sua, F. (1956)
Suppose we loosely define a religion as any discipline whose foundations rest on an element of faith, irrespective of any element of reason which may be present. Quantum mechanics for example would be a religion under this definition. But mathematics would hold the unique position of being the only branch of theology possessing a rigorous demonstration of the fact that it should be so classified.
In H. Eves In Mathematical Circles, Boston: Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, 1969.
Descartes, Rene (1596-1650)
If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.
Discours de la Methode. 1637.
Descartes, Rene (1596-1650)
Omnia apud me
mathematica fiunt.
With me everything
turns into
mathematics.
Descartes, Rene (1596-1650)
It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.
Discours de la Methode. 1637.
Descartes, Rene (1596-1650)
Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.
In H. Eves Mathematical Circles Squared, Boston: Prindle, Weber and Schmidt, 1972.
Descartes, Rene (1596-1650)
I hope that posterity will judge me kindly, not only as to the things which I have explained, but also to those which I have intentionally omitted so as to leave to others the pleasure of discovery.