---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I turn away with fright and horror from…"
description: "\"I turn away with fright and horror from the lamentable evil of functions which do not have derivatives.\" — Charles Hermite"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/charles-hermite-42865_derivatives_i-turn-away-with-fright-and-horror-from_54230.png"
---

#  I turn away with fright and horror from the lamentable…

![“I turn away with fright and horror from the lamentable evil of functions which do not have derivatives.” quote by Charles Hermite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/charles-hermite-42865_derivatives_i-turn-away-with-fright-and-horror-from_54230.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/charles-hermite-42865_derivatives_i-turn-away-with-fright-and-horror-from_54230.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/705/charles-hermite-42865_derivatives_i-turn-away-with-fright-and-horror-from_54230.png)

> “I turn away with fright and horror from the lamentable evil of functions which do not have derivatives.”

[Charles Hermite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hermite/)

## About This Quote

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

A lamentation of non-differentiable functions, highlighting the discomfort they cause in analysis.

**In simple terms:** Discomfort with non‑smooth functions

Key Takeaway

Non‑differentiability is mathematically unsettling

Themes

mathematical analysis calculus smoothness function behavior theoretical discomfort

Mood

reflective critical intellectual

Type

philosophical mathematical critical

When to use this quote

- studying pathological functions
- teaching calculus concepts
- researching fractal geometry
- modeling physical phenomena
- designing algorithms

Key Concepts

derivatives continuity smoothness mathematical rigor

Practical Applications

- highlighting importance of smoothness
- guiding function selection

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we prefer smooth functions?
- How does non‑differentiability affect practical models?

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[Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Fright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fright/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/)

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