---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mathematics is the art of accurate…"
description: "\"Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on inaccurately-drawn figures... let that be our motto.\" — Arthur Mattuck"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg"
---

#  Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on…

![“Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on inaccurately-drawn figures... let that be our motto.” quote by Arthur Mattuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg)

> “Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on inaccurately-drawn figures... let that be our motto.”

Arthur Mattuck

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Accurate reasoning must contend with imperfect representations; embrace the tension between ideal and real.

**In simple terms:** Math deals with imperfect models.

Key Takeaway

Accept approximations while seeking precision.

Themes

mathematics philosophy accuracy

Mood

analytical instructive

Type

educational philosophical

When to use this quote

- science research
- engineering design
- educational settings

Key Concepts

modeling error analysis conceptual clarity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance precision and practicality?
- When is an approximation acceptable?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on idealized models can mislead.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Motto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motto/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/)

## Related quotes

> [I see things like they've never been seen before. Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mapplethorpe/i-see-things-like-they-ve-never-been-seen-before-art-is-an-accurate/)

[Robert Mapplethorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mapplethorpe/)

> [In mathematics, the art of asking questions is more valuable than solving problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-cantor/in-mathematics-the-art-of-asking-questions-is-more-valuable-than/)

[Georg Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-cantor/)

> [Perhaps the best reason for regarding mathematics as an art is not so much that it affords an outlet for creative activity as that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-kline/perhaps-the-best-reason-for-regarding-mathematics-as-an-art-is-not-so/)

[Morris Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-kline/)

> [Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/mathematics-is-the-art-of-giving-the-same-name-to-different-things/)

[Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/)

> [“Mathematics is the art of explanation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lockhart/mathematics-is-the-art-of-explanation/)

[Paul Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lockhart/)

> [Mathematics is an art of human understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-thurston/mathematics-is-an-art-of-human-understanding/)

[William Thurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-thurston/)

> [Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. \[As opposed to the quotation: Poetry is the art of giving different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/mathematics-is-the-art-of-giving-the-same-name-to-different-things-as/)

[Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/)

> [In mathematics the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-cantor/in-mathematics-the-art-of-proposing-a-question-must-be-held-of-higher/)

[Georg Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-cantor/)

> [Without mathematics there is no art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-pacioli/without-mathematics-there-is-no-art/)

Luca Pacioli

> [Mathematics and art are quite different. We could not publish so many papers that used, repeatedly, the same idea and still command the respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoni-zygmund/mathematics-and-art-are-quite-different-we-could-not-publish-so-many/)

Antoni Zygmund

> [“And I'll go even further and say that mathematics, this art of abstract pattern-making — even more than storytelling, painting, or music - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lockhart/and-i-ll-go-even-further-and-say-that-mathematics-this-art-of/)

[Paul Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lockhart/)

> [Most of the arts, as painting, sculpture, and music, have emotional appeal to the general public. This is because these arts can be experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-lanczos/most-of-the-arts-as-painting-sculpture-and-music-have-emotional/)

Cornelius Lanczos

> [No mathematician should ever allow himself to forget that mathematics, more than any other art or science, is a young man's game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/no-mathematician-should-ever-allow-himself-to-forget-that-mathematics/)

[G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/)

> [ For me it remains an open question whether \[this work\] pertains to the realm of mathematics or to that of art. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/for-me-it-remains-an-open-question-whether-this-work-pertains-to-the/)

[M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/)

> [Mathematics is the art of explanation. If you deny students the opportunity to engage in this activity-- to pose their own problems, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lockhart/mathematics-is-the-art-of-explanation-if-you-deny-students-the/)

[Paul Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lockhart/)

## More by Arthur Mattuck

> [Non-linear means it's hard to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/non-linear-means-it-s-hard-to-solve/)

Arthur Mattuck

> [All theorems have three names: a French name, a German name, and a Russian name, each nationality having claimed to discover it first. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/all-theorems-have-three-names-a-french-name-a-german-name-and-a/)

Arthur Mattuck

Explore all 3 Arthur Mattuck quotes

## More Accurate quotes

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/)

[Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/)

> [I never think of things rationally or intellectually. I swear, every single decision I make is just instinct and my instincts tend to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neill-blomkamp/i-never-think-of-things-rationally-or-intellectually-i-swear-every/)

[Neill Blomkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neill-blomkamp/)

> [No accurate thinker will judge another person by that which the other person's enemies say about him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/no-accurate-thinker-will-judge-another-person-by-that-which-the-other/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [The Bell curve is a fact of life. The blacks on average score 85 per cent on IQ and it is accurate, nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/the-bell-curve-is-a-fact-of-life-the-blacks-on-average-score-85-per/)

[Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/)

> [A film is a chain of very difficult decisions, and I think one of them is to choose an accurate cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/a-film-is-a-chain-of-very-difficult-decisions-and-i-think-one-of-them/)

[Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/)

> [“Madoc makes a snorting sound, then turns to me. 'I am sure that Wren here wouldn't mind taking Lady Nore's castle and lands for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/madoc-makes-a-snorting-sound-then-turns-to-me-i-am-sure-that-wren/)

[Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/)

> [ He \[Groucho's father\] had absolutely no training, and if you had ever seen one of his suits, you'd realize what an accurate statement that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/he-groucho-s-father-had-absolutely-no-training-and-if-you-had-ever/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [... the attempt to render visual intricacy makes words feel unwieldy, like sacks of meaning that must be lugged into place, dragged here and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/the-attempt-to-render-visual-intricacy-makes-words-feel-unwieldy-like/)

[Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/)

> [Not forgiving prolongs hurt and anger and leads to smoldering resentment, which will make us miserable until it kills us. Resentment destroys the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-walters/not-forgiving-prolongs-hurt-and-anger-and-leads-to-smoldering/)

Richard Walters

> [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/)

[Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/)

> [The western mantra is that Israel seeks negotiations without preconditions, while the Palestinians refuse. The opposite is more accurate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-western-mantra-is-that-israel-seeks-negotiations-without/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Love women! I hate feminism. "Hate" may be an accurate word, but too strong to use. I strongly oppose feminism because it's nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/love-women-i-hate-feminism-hate-may-be-an-accurate-word-but-too/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Most of my characters are romantic rather than sexual. I think that's an essential difference in my pictures. I think they are more accurate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughes/most-of-my-characters-are-romantic-rather-than-sexual-i-think-that-s/)

[John Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hughes/)

> [While the Environmental Genome Project does not seek to assign allele frequencies, we are aware of the importance of accurate allele frequency estimates for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-wilson/while-the-environmental-genome-project-does-not-seek-to-assign-allele/)

[Samuel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-wilson/)

Browse all 847 Accurate quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on inaccurately-drawn figures... let that be our motto.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arthur Mattuck"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reasoning-on-inaccurately-drawn/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accurate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reasoning-on-inaccurately-drawn/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/arthur-mattuck-85755_accurate_mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reaso_1540600.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Mathematics is the art of accurate reasoning on inaccurately-drawn figures... let that be our motto.” — Arthur Mattuck",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "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": "Arthur Mattuck",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-mattuck/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Mathematics is the art of accurate...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reasoning-on-inaccurately-drawn/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mattuck/mathematics-is-the-art-of-accurate-reasoning-on-inaccurately-drawn/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
