God made the integers, all else is the work of man. -- Leopold
Kronecker
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Fortune Quote #1124
God made the integers, all else is the work of man. -- Leopold
Kronecker God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity,
had to invent finite sets. -- Gian-Carlo Rota
Kronecker God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity,
had to invent finite sets. -- Gian-Carlo Rota
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Fortune Quote #1123
God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity, had to
invent finite sets. -- Gian-Carlo Rota
invent finite sets. -- Gian-Carlo Rota
Friday, August 28, 2015
Fortune Quote #1122
We have one, which in this case is usually called zero, and
multiplication, which is usually called addition. -- Igor
Belegradek (on the real numbers as a topological group)
multiplication, which is usually called addition. -- Igor
Belegradek (on the real numbers as a topological group)
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Fortune Quote #1121
Louis Couturat defined `one' as the number of elements of a class in which
any two elements are identical. Henri Poincare's response was "I am afraid
that if we asked Couturat what `two' is, he would be obliged to use the
word `one'."
any two elements are identical. Henri Poincare's response was "I am afraid
that if we asked Couturat what `two' is, he would be obliged to use the
word `one'."
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Fortune Quote #1120
Zero is the number of objects that satisfy a condition that is never
satisfied. But as `never' means `in no case' I do not see that any great
progress has been made. -- Henri Poincare, on the logistic movement
in math
satisfied. But as `never' means `in no case' I do not see that any great
progress has been made. -- Henri Poincare, on the logistic movement
in math
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Fortune Quote #1119
Man is the religious animal. He's the only one who's got the true
religion--several of them. -- Mark Twain
religion--several of them. -- Mark Twain
Monday, August 24, 2015
Fortune Quote #1118
The Law of Conservation of Ignorance (by Georg Cantor): "A false
conclusion once arrived at and widely accepted is not easily dislodged, and
the less it is understood, the more tenaciously it is held."
conclusion once arrived at and widely accepted is not easily dislodged, and
the less it is understood, the more tenaciously it is held."
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Fortune Quote #1117
I shall persevere until I find something that is certain--or, at least,
until I find for certain that nothing is certain. -- Rene Descartes
until I find for certain that nothing is certain. -- Rene Descartes
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Fortune Quote #1116
`Mathematizing' may well be a creative activity of man, like language or
music, of primary originality, whose historical decisions defy complete
objective rationalization. -- Herman Weyl
music, of primary originality, whose historical decisions defy complete
objective rationalization. -- Herman Weyl
Friday, August 21, 2015
Fortune Quote #1115
Logic can make us reject certain proofs but it cannot make us believe any
proof. -- Henri Lebesgue
proof. -- Henri Lebesgue
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Fortune Quote #1114
When a somewhat long argument leads us to a simple and striking result, we
are not satisfied until we have show that we could have foreseen, if not
the entire result, at least its principal features. -- Poincare
are not satisfied until we have show that we could have foreseen, if not
the entire result, at least its principal features. -- Poincare
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Fortune Quote #1113
Proof is an idol before whom the mathematician tortures himself.
-- Arthur Stanley Eddington
-- Arthur Stanley Eddington
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Fortune Quote #1112
There are three levels of understanding of a proof. The lowest is the
pleasant feeling of having grasped the argument; the second is the ability
to repeat it; and the third or top level is that of being able to refute
it. -- Karl Popper
pleasant feeling of having grasped the argument; the second is the ability
to repeat it; and the third or top level is that of being able to refute
it. -- Karl Popper
Monday, August 17, 2015
Fortune Quote #1111
The supreme triumph of reason is to cast doubt on its own
validity. -- Miguel de Unamuno
validity. -- Miguel de Unamuno
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Fortune Quote #1110
Reason's last step is the recognition that there are an infinite number of
things that are beyond it. -- Pascal
things that are beyond it. -- Pascal
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Fortune Quote #1109
Logic is the hygiene which the mathematician practices to keep his ideas
healthy and strong. -- Herman Weyl
healthy and strong. -- Herman Weyl
Friday, August 14, 2015
Fortune Quote #1108
The good statistician... distrusts all figures. He either knows the
fellow who found them or he does not know him; in either case he is
suspicious. -- Peter F. Drucker, "The Effective Executive"
fellow who found them or he does not know him; in either case he is
suspicious. -- Peter F. Drucker, "The Effective Executive"
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Fortune Quote #1107
An English mathematician was asked by his very religious colleague, "Do
you believe in one God?" His answer was "Yes, up to isomorphism!"
you believe in one God?" His answer was "Yes, up to isomorphism!"
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Fortune Quote #1106
Q: What's the contour integral around Western Europe? A: Zero, because all
the Poles are in Eastern Europe! [Actually, there ARE some Poles in
Western Europe, but they are removable.]
the Poles are in Eastern Europe! [Actually, there ARE some Poles in
Western Europe, but they are removable.]
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Fortune Quote #1103
Why can't people just do wholesome things like wear clothing of the
opposite gender? -- Ari Nieh
opposite gender? -- Ari Nieh
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Fortune Quote #1102
I have a feeling that the bits of the world are being held together by
invisible people doing invisible things. -- Vin de Silva
invisible people doing invisible things. -- Vin de Silva
Friday, August 7, 2015
Fortune Quote #1101
There are so many things that sound obscene in the field of
topology. -- Ari Nieh
topology. -- Ari Nieh
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Fortune Quote #1099
Vin: "An Abstraction is like this big green monster..." Mira: "You're
wearing a green shirt." Vin: "Oh, you spotted my evil plan right away!"
wearing a green shirt." Vin: "Oh, you spotted my evil plan right away!"
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Fortune Quote #1098
Leo: "But that number doesn't exist!" Kumar Murty: "And has that ever
stopped us?"
stopped us?"
Monday, August 3, 2015
Fortune Quote #1097
Leo, upon learning that unique factorization fails in Z[sqrt(-5)]: "I feel
crushed now. I feel like my heart has been ripped out."
crushed now. I feel like my heart has been ripped out."
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
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