--- title: "1 Start Proving Quotes By George Polya" description: "1 Start Proving quotes by George Polya. Plus more from George Polya and more Start Proving sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d85/george-polya-10766_checks_if-you-have-to-prove-a-theorem-do-not-ru_1869863.jpg" --- > [If you have to prove a theorem, do not rush. First of all, understand fully what the theorem says, try to see clearly what it means. Then check the theorem; it could be false. Examine the consequences, verify as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/if-you-have-to-prove-a-theorem-do-not-rush-first-of-all-understand/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d85/george-polya-10766_checks_if-you-have-to-prove-a-theorem-do-not-ru_1869863.jpg) ## More by George Polya > [Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/pedantry-and-mastery-are-opposite-attitudes-toward-rules-to-apply-a/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [A GREAT discovery solves a great problem but there is a grain of discovery in any problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/a-great-discovery-solves-a-great-problem-but-there-is-a-grain-of/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Where should I start? Start from the statement of the problem. ... What can I do? Visualize the problem as a whole as clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/where-should-i-start-start-from-the-statement-of-the-problem-what-can/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [In order to translate a sentence from English into French two things are necessary. First, we must understand thoroughly the English sentence. Second, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/in-order-to-translate-a-sentence-from-english-into-french-two-things/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Look around when you have got your first mushroom or made your first discovery: they grow in clusters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/look-around-when-you-have-got-your-first-mushroom-or-made-your-first/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Beauty in mathematics is seeing the truth without effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/beauty-in-mathematics-is-seeing-the-truth-without-effort/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [I am too good for philosophy and not good enough for physics. Mathematics is in between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/i-am-too-good-for-philosophy-and-not-good-enough-for-physics/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Solving problems is a practical art, like swimming, or skiing, or playing the piano: you can learn it only by imitation and practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/solving-problems-is-a-practical-art-like-swimming-or-skiing-or/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [An idea which can be used only once is a trick. If one can use it more than once it becomes a method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/an-idea-which-can-be-used-only-once-is-a-trick-if-one-can-use-it-more/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [To teach effectively a teacher must develop a feeling for his subject; he cannot make his students sense its vitality if he does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/to-teach-effectively-a-teacher-must-develop-a-feeling-for-his-subject/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [The world is anxious to admire that apex and culmination of modern mathematics: a theorem so perfectly general that no particular application of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-world-is-anxious-to-admire-that-apex-and-culmination-of-modern/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [The first rule of discovery is to have brains and good luck. The second rule of discovery is to sit tight and wait till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-first-rule-of-discovery-is-to-have-brains-and-good-luck-the/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Hilbert once had a student in mathematics who stopped coming to his lectures, and he was finally told the young man had gone off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/hilbert-once-had-a-student-in-mathematics-who-stopped-coming-to-his/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Geometry is the science of correct reasoning on incorrect figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/geometry-is-the-science-of-correct-reasoning-on-incorrect-figures/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [An idea which can be used once is a trick. If it can be used more than once it becomes a method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/an-idea-which-can-be-used-once-is-a-trick-if-it-can-be-used-more-than/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-proving/george-polya/#itemlist", "name": "1 Start Proving Quotes By George Polya", "numberOfItems": 1, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you have to prove a theorem, do not rush. First of all, understand fully what the theorem says, try to see clearly what it means. Then check the theorem; it could be false. Examine the consequences, verify as many particular instances as are needed to convince yourself of the truth. 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