If you attack a mathematical problem directly, very often you come to a dead end, nothing you do seems to work and you feel that if only you could peer round the corner there might be an easy solution. There… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
No one fully understands spinors. Their algebra is formally understood but their general significance is mysterious. In some sense they describe the 'square root'… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
The aim of mathematics is to explain as much as possible in simple terms. — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
In the broad light of day mathematicians check their equations and their proofs, leaving no stone unturned in their search for rigour. But, at… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
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… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
I think it is said that Gauss had ten different proofs for the law of quadratic reciprocity. Any good theorem should have several proofs,… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
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… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
I dislike frontiers, political or intellectual, and I find that ignoring them is an essential catalyst for creative thought. Ideas should flow without hindrance… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
It is hard to communicate understanding because that is something you get by living with a problem for a long time. You study it,… — Michael Atiyah Copy Share Image
