---
title: "1 Ideas Flow Quotes By Michael Atiyah"
description: "1 Ideas Flow quotes by Michael Atiyah. Plus more from Michael Atiyah and more Ideas Flow sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg"
---

> [I dislike frontiers, political or intellectual, and I find that ignoring them is an essential catalyst for creative thought. Ideas should flow without hindrance in their natural course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intellectual-and-i-find-that/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg)

## More by Michael Atiyah

> [No one fully understands spinors. Their algebra is formally understood but their general significance is mysterious. In some sense they describe the 'square root'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/no-one-fully-understands-spinors-their-algebra-is-formally-understood/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/if-theory-is-the-role-of-the-architect-then-such-beautiful-proofs-are/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [The aim of mathematics is to explain as much as possible in simple terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/the-aim-of-mathematics-is-to-explain-as-much-as-possible-in-simple/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [In the broad light of day mathematicians check their equations and their proofs, leaving no stone unturned in their search for rigour. But, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/in-the-broad-light-of-day-mathematicians-check-their-equations-and/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [Everything useful in mathematics has been devised for a purpose. Even if you don't know it, the guy who did it first, he knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/everything-useful-in-mathematics-has-been-devised-for-a-purpose-even/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [There is no clear-cut distinction between example and theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/there-is-no-clear-cut-distinction-between-example-and-theory/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [I think it is said that Gauss had ten different proofs for the law of quadratic reciprocity. Any good theorem should have several proofs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/i-think-it-is-said-that-gauss-had-ten-different-proofs-for-the-law-of/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [Would you rather be deaf or blind?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/would-you-rather-be-deaf-or-blind/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [I'm not the sort of person who does my mathematics writing on paper. I do that at the last stage of the game. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-does-my-mathematics-writing-on-paper-i/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [I dislike frontiers, political or intellectual, and I find that ignoring them is an essential catalyst for creative thought. Ideas should flow without hindrance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intellectual-and-i-find-that/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [It is hard to communicate understanding because that is something you get by living with a problem for a long time. You study it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/it-is-hard-to-communicate-understanding-because-that-is-something-you/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [Any good theorem should have several proofs, the more the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/any-good-theorem-should-have-several-proofs-the-more-the-better/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

> [If you attack a mathematical problem directly, very often you come to a dead end, nothing you do seems to work and you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/if-you-attack-a-mathematical-problem-directly-very-often-you-come-to/)

[Michael Atiyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atiyah/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Ideas Flow Quotes By Michael Atiyah",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I dislike frontiers, political or intellectual, and I find that ignoring them is an essential catalyst for creative thought. Ideas should flow without hindrance in their natural course.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Michael Atiyah"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atiyah/i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intellectual-and-i-find-that/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I dislike frontiers, political or intellectual, and I find that ignoring them is an essential catalyst for…” — Michael Atiyah",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/",
            "name": "Ideas Flow Quotes by Michael Atiyah",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ee/michael-atiyah-35333_catalyst_i-dislike-frontiers-political-or-intelle_1890130.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Ideas Flow quotes by Michael Atiyah. Plus more from Michael Atiyah and more Ideas Flow sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Ideas Flow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Michael Atiyah",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-flow/michael-atiyah/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```