--- title: "32 Gian-Carlo Rota Quotes - Famous Mathematician (Mathematical essays in honor of Gian-Carlo Rota)" description: "Gian-Carlo Rota was an Italian-American mathematician and philosopher. He spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-giancarlo-rota-38463.jpg" --- ![Portrait of Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b010/author-giancarlo-rota-38463.jpg) # Gian-Carlo Rota (1932–1999) Mathematician United States **32** quotes in **245** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Gian-Carlo Rota was a mathematician from the United States, best known for *Mathematical essays in honor of Gian-Carlo Rota*. ## Quick Facts About Gian-Carlo Rota Born April 27, 1932 Died April 18, 1999 Nationality United States Profession Mathematician Notable works Mathematical essays in honor of Gian-Carlo Rota Known for joint spectral radius, Kallman–Rota inequality, Rota's basis conjecture, Rota's conjecture, Rota–Baxter algebra ## About Gian-Carlo Rota Gian-Carlo Rota was an Italian-American mathematician and philosopher. He spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked in combinatorics, functional analysis, probability theory, and phenomenology. ## Awards & Honors Leroy P. Steele Prize Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics honorary doctor of the Nankai University honorary doctor of Louis Pasteur University ## Quotes by Gian-Carlo Rota > [A technique is a trick that works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technique/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/gian-carlo-rota-19795_technique_a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works-280499_2804995.png) > [How did he do it? He must be a genius!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/how-did-he-do-it-he-must-be-a-genius/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8d/gian-carlo-rota-19795_funny_how-did-he-do-it-he-must-be-a-genius-288_2880217.png) > [Nature imitates mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/nature-imitates-mathematics/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/gian-carlo-rota-19795_funny_nature-imitates-mathematics-759374_759374.png) > [Stan Ulam was lazy, ... He talked too much ... He was self-centered ... . He had an overpowering personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he-was-self-centered-he-had-an/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b81/gian-carlo-rota-19795_lazy_stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he_1378109.png) > [The advice we give others is the advice that we ourselves need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-advice-we-give-others-is-the-advice-that-we-ourselves-need/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/gian-carlo-rota-19795_advice_the-advice-we-give-others-is-the-advice_3225324.png) > [Very little mathematics has direct applications - though fortunately most of it has plenty of indirect ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/very-little-mathematics-has-direct-applications-though-fortunately/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Application](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/application/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/526/gian-carlo-rota-19795_application_very-little-mathematics-has-direct-appli_2033088.png) > [God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity, had to invent finite sets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/god-created-infinity-and-man-unable-to-understand-infinity-had-to/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Calculus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calculus/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8c/gian-carlo-rota-19795_calculus_god-created-infinity-and-man-unable-to-u_158939.png) > [There is something in statistics that makes it very similar to astrology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/there-is-something-in-statistics-that-makes-it-very-similar-to/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Astrology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astrology/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/gian-carlo-rota-19795_astrology_there-is-something-in-statistics-that-ma_1843333.png) > [If we have no idea why a statement is true, we can still prove it by induction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/if-we-have-no-idea-why-a-statement-is-true-we-can-still-prove-it-by/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/gian-carlo-rota-19795_ideas_if-we-have-no-idea-why-a-statement-is-tr_1167195.png) > [Theorems are not to mathematics what successful courses are to a meal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/theorems-are-not-to-mathematics-what-successful-courses-are-to-a-meal/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/gian-carlo-rota-19795_courses_theorems-are-not-to-mathematics-what-suc_1451461.png) > [The progress of mathematics can be viewed as progress from the infinite to the finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-progress-of-mathematics-can-be-viewed-as-progress-from-the/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Finite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finite/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/gian-carlo-rota-19795_finite_the-progress-of-mathematics-can-be-viewe_2710441.png) > [Our faith in Mathematics is not likely to wane if we openly acknowledge that the personalities of even the greatest mathematicians may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/our-faith-in-mathematics-is-not-likely-to-wane-if-we-openly/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Acknowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acknowledge/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/gian-carlo-rota-19795_acknowledge_our-faith-in-mathematics-is-not-likely-t_2421488.png) > [We often hear that mathematics consists mainly of "proving theorems." Is a writer's job mainly that of "writing sentences?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/we-often-hear-that-mathematics-consists-mainly-of-proving-theorems-is/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/gian-carlo-rota-19795_jobs_we-often-hear-that-mathematics-consists_2262975.png) > [Are mathematical ideas invented or discovered? This question has been repeatedly posed by philosophers through the ages and will probably be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/are-mathematical-ideas-invented-or-discovered-this-question-has-been/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d8/gian-carlo-rota-19795_age_are-mathematical-ideas-invented-or-disco_2005798.png) > [Mathematicians - for what they do - are really poorly rewarded. And it's a very competitive field, almost as bad as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/mathematicians-for-what-they-do-are-really-poorly-rewarded-and-it-s-a/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e91/gian-carlo-rota-19795_concerts_mathematicians-for-what-they-do-are-real_2106694.png) > [Running overtime is the one unforgivable error a lecturer can make. After fifty minutes (one microcentury as von Neumann used to say)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/running-overtime-is-the-one-unforgivable-error-a-lecturer-can-make/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e56/gian-carlo-rota-19795_attention_running-overtime-is-the-one-unforgivable_615517.png) > [ \[In mathematics\] There are two kinds of mistakes. There are fatal mistakes that destroy a theory, but there are also contingent ones,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/in-mathematics-there-are-two-kinds-of-mistakes-there-are-fatal/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbc/gian-carlo-rota-19795_failure_in-mathematics-there-are-two-kinds-of-mi_493803.jpg) > [It is a common public relations gimmick to give the entire credit for the solution of famous problems to the one mathematician…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/it-is-a-common-public-relations-gimmick-to-give-the-entire-credit-for/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/gian-carlo-rota-19795_common_it-is-a-common-public-relations-gimmick_1721702.png) > [The lack of real contact between mathematics and biology is either a tragedy, a scandal or a challenge, it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-lack-of-real-contact-between-mathematics-and-biology-is-either-a/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a0/gian-carlo-rota-19795_biology_the-lack-of-real-contact-between-mathema_182589.png) > [A mathematician's work is mostly a tangle of guesswork, analogy, wishful thinking and frustration, and proof, far from being the core of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/a-mathematician-s-work-is-mostly-a-tangle-of-guesswork-analogy/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Analogies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analogies/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c23/gian-carlo-rota-19795_analogies_a-mathematician-s-work-is-mostly-a-tangl_1892375.jpg) > [THE COMPUTER IS JUST AN INSTRUMENT for doing faster what we already know how to do slower. All pretensions to computer intelligence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-computer-is-just-an-instrument-for-doing-faster-what-we-already/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b7/gian-carlo-rota-19795_civilization_the-computer-is-just-an-instrument-for-d_2937298.png) > [Making mathematics accessible to the educated layman, while keeping high scientific standards, has always been considered a treacherous navigation between the Scylla…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/making-mathematics-accessible-to-the-educated-layman-while-keeping/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Charybdis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charybdis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a86/gian-carlo-rota-19795_charybdis_making-mathematics-accessible-to-the-edu_2252640.png) > [Mathematics is the study of analogies between analogies. All science is. Scientists want to show that things that don't look alike are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/mathematics-is-the-study-of-analogies-between-analogies-all-science/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Analogies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analogies/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bf/gian-carlo-rota-19795_analogies_mathematics-is-the-study-of-analogies-be_992727.png) > [Every field has its taboos. In algebraic geometry the taboos are (1) writing a draft that can be followed by anyone but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/every-field-has-its-taboos-in-algebraic-geometry-the-taboos-are-1/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Application](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/application/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/318/gian-carlo-rota-19795_application_every-field-has-its-taboos-in-algebraic_604903.jpg) > [Why is it that Serge Lange's Linear Algebra, published by no less a Verlag than Springer, ostentatiously displays the sale of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/why-is-it-that-serge-lange-s-linear-algebra-published-by-no-less-a/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Algebra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/algebra/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/gian-carlo-rota-19795_algebra_why-is-it-that-serge-lange-s-linear-alge_2754698.png) > [The apex of mathematical achievement occurs when two or more fields which were thought to be entirely unrelated turn out to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-apex-of-mathematical-achievement-occurs-when-two-or-more-fields/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd7/gian-carlo-rota-19795_achievement_the-apex-of-mathematical-achievement-occ_483813.png) > [Mathematicians also make terrible salesmen. Physicists can discover the same thing as a mathematician and say 'We've discovered a great new law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/mathematicians-also-make-terrible-salesmen-physicists-can-discover/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a17/gian-carlo-rota-19795_billions_mathematicians-also-make-terrible-salesm_1204306.png) > [Richard Feynman was fond of giving the following advice on how to be a genius. You have to keep a dozen of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/richard-feynman-was-fond-of-giving-the-following-advice-on-how-to-be/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa1/gian-carlo-rota-19795_advice_richard-feynman-was-fond-of-giving-the-f_2264738.png) > [Combinatorics is an honest subject. No adèles, no sigma-algebras. You count balls in a box, and you either have the right number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/combinatorics-is-an-honest-subject-no-ad-les-no-sigma-algebras-you/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Ads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ads/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6fc/gian-carlo-rota-19795_ads_combinatorics-is-an-honest-subject-no-ad_1611570.jpg) > [Every lecture should state one main point and repeat it over and over, like a theme with variations. An audience is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/every-lecture-should-state-one-main-point-and-repeat-it-over-and-over/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f4/gian-carlo-rota-19795_audience_every-lecture-should-state-one-main-poin_69913.jpg) > [The pendulum of mathematics swings back and forth towards abstraction and away from it with a timing that remains to be estimated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-pendulum-of-mathematics-swings-back-and-forth-towards-abstraction/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/gian-carlo-rota-19795_abstraction_the-pendulum-of-mathematics-swings-back_1811521.png) > [Philosophers and psychiatrists should explain why it is that we mathematicians are in the habit of systematically erasing our footsteps. Scientists have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/philosophers-and-psychiatrists-should-explain-why-it-is-that-we/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d84/gian-carlo-rota-19795_changed_philosophers-and-psychiatrists-should-ex_164594.jpg) ## Gian-Carlo Rota by topic [Mathematics (25)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/gian-carlo-rota/) [Science (12)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/gian-carlo-rota/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/#itemlist", "name": "Gian-Carlo Rota Quotes", "numberOfItems": 32, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A technique is a trick that works.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gian-Carlo Rota" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/gian-carlo-rota-19795_technique_a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works-280499_2804995.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/gian-carlo-rota-19795_technique_a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works-280499_2804995.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/gian-carlo-rota-19795_technique_a-technique-is-a-trick-that-works-280499_2804995.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A technique is a trick that works.” — Gian-Carlo Rota", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How did he do it? 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He talked too much ... He was self-centered ... . He had an overpowering personality.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gian-Carlo Rota" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he-was-self-centered-he-had-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b81/gian-carlo-rota-19795_lazy_stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he_1378109.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b81/gian-carlo-rota-19795_lazy_stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he_1378109.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b81/gian-carlo-rota-19795_lazy_stan-ulam-was-lazy-he-talked-too-much-he_1378109.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Stan Ulam was lazy, ... He talked too much ... He was self-centered ... . 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"text": "Are mathematical ideas invented or discovered? 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