Philosophers and psychiatrists should explain why it is that we mathematicians are in the habit of systematically erasing our footsteps. Scientists have always looked askance at this strange habit of mathematicians, which has changed little from Pythagoras to our day. — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
Every lecture should state one main point and repeat it over and over, like a theme with variations. An audience is like a herd of cows, moving slowly in the direction they are being driven towards. If we make one point, we have a good chance that the audience will take the right direction; if we make several points, then… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share
God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity, had to invent finite sets. — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
Philosophers and psychiatrists should explain why it is that we mathematicians are in the habit of systematically erasing our footsteps. Scientists have always looked… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
The lack of real contact between mathematics and biology is either a tragedy, a scandal or a challenge, it is hard to decide which. — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
The apex of mathematical achievement occurs when two or more fields which were thought to be entirely unrelated turn out to be closely intertwined.… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
[In mathematics] There are two kinds of mistakes. There are fatal mistakes that destroy a theory, but there are also contingent ones, which are… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
Every field has its taboos. In algebraic geometry the taboos are (1) writing a draft that can be followed by anyone but two or three of one's closest friends, (2) claiming that a result has applications, (3) mentioning the word 'combinatorial,' and (4) claiming that algebraic geometry existed before Grothendieck (only some handwaving references to 'the Italians' are allowed provided… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share
Running overtime is the one unforgivable error a lecturer can make. After fifty minutes (one microcentury as von Neumann used to say) everybody's attention… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
Mathematics is the study of analogies between analogies. All science is. Scientists want to show that things that don't look alike are really the… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
If we have no idea why a statement is true, we can still prove it by induction. — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
Mathematicians also make terrible salesmen. Physicists can discover the same thing as a mathematician and say 'We've discovered a great new law of nature.… — Gian-Carlo Rota Copy Share Image
![“[In mathematics] There are two kinds of mistakes. There are fatal mistakes that destroy a theory, but there are also contingent ones, which are useful in testing the stability of a theory.” quote by Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cbc/gian-carlo-rota-19795_failure_in-mathematics-there-are-two-kinds-of-mi_493803.jpg)
