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Education Quotes by Paul Halmos

8 Education quotes by Paul Halmos

All Education quotes Paul Halmos’s page

Paul Halmos’ eight statements on schooling draw from his mathematical mind, championing clarity and logical reasoning. Though the set is modest, each quote encourages precise thought. It offers a brief, focused glimpse into his educational philosophy.

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The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics. That tenet is the foundation of the do-it-yourself, Socratic, or Texas method, ...

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... the student skit at Christmas contained a plaintive line: "Give us Master's exams that our faculty can pass, or give us…

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Mathematics - this may surprise or shock some - is never deductive in creation.

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A smooth lecture... may be pleasant; a good teacher challenges, asks, irritates and maintains high standards - all that is generally not…

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Many teachers are concerned about the amount of material they must cover in a course. One cynic suggested a formula: since, he…

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The best way to learn is to do; the worst way to teach is to talk.

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The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.

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A good stack of examples, as large as possible, is indispensable for a thorough understanding of any concept,and when I want to…

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More by Paul Halmos

Applied mathematics will always need pure mathematics just as anteaters will always need ants.

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When a student comes and asks, "Should I become a mathematician?" the answer should be no. If you have to ask, you shouldn't even…

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You are allowed to lie a little, but you must never mislead.

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Don't just read it; fight it! Ask your own question, look for your own examples, discover your own proofs. Is the hypothesis necessary? Is…

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...the source of all great mathematics is the special case, the concrete example. It is frequent in mathematics that every instance of a concept…

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“In other words, general set theory is pretty trivial stuff really, but, if you want to be a mathematician, you need some and here…

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It saddens me that educated people don't even know that my subject exists.

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The beginner should not be discouraged if he finds he does not have the prerequisites for reading the prerequisites.

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The mathematical fraternity is a little like a self-perpetuating priesthood. The mathematicians of today teach the mathematicians of tomorrow and, in effect, decide whom…

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Mathematics is not a deductive science, that's a cliché ... What you do is trial and error, experimentation, guesswork.

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I remember one occasion when I tried to add a little seasoning to a review, but I wasn't allowed to. The paper was by…

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Feller was an ebullient man, who would rather be wrong than undecided.

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The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics. That tenet is the foundation of the do-it-yourself, Socratic, or Texas method, ...

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... the student skit at Christmas contained a plaintive line: "Give us Master's exams that our faculty can pass, or give us a faculty…

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What's the best part of being a mathematician? I'm not a religious man, but it's almost like being in touch with God when you're…

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