--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The work of mathematicians on 'pure'…" description: "\"The work of mathematicians on 'pure' problems has often yielded ideas that have waited to be rediscovered by physicists. The work of Euclid, Apollonius..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ea/dominic-cummings-5896_ideas_the-work-of-mathematicians-on-pure-probl_631290.jpg" --- # The work of mathematicians on 'pure' problems has often… ![“The work of mathematicians on 'pure' problems has often yielded ideas that have waited to be rediscovered by physicists. The work of Euclid, Apollonius and Archimedes on ellipses would be used centuries later by Kepler for his theory of planetary motion.” quote by Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ea/dominic-cummings-5896_ideas_the-work-of-mathematicians-on-pure-probl_631290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ea/dominic-cummings-5896_ideas_the-work-of-mathematicians-on-pure-probl_631290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ea/dominic-cummings-5896_ideas_the-work-of-mathematicians-on-pure-probl_631290.jpg) > “The work of mathematicians on 'pure' problems has often yielded ideas that have waited to be rediscovered by physicists. The work of Euclid, Apollonius and Archimedes on ellipses would be used centuries later by Kepler for his theory of planetary motion.” [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pure math research often later fuels physics breakthroughs. **In simple terms:** Abstract math can become practical physics tools. Key Takeaway Value theoretical work for future applications. Themes science interdisciplinary innovation Mood analytical optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research funding - education curricula - collaborative projects Key Concepts pure mathematics physics synergy Questions to Reflect On - How can we better communicate long‑term benefits? - What incentives encourage cross‑field research? A Different Perspective Pure work may lack immediate payoff, risking support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Mathematicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematicians/) [Motion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motion/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The real work of us mathematicians, from now until, roughly, fifty years from now, when computers won't need us anymore, is to make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doron-zeilberger/the-real-work-of-us-mathematicians-from-now-until-roughly-fifty-years/) [Doron Zeilberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doron-zeilberger/) > [Physicists and mathematicians regularly invade other fields but other fields do not invade theirs so we can see which fields are hardest for very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/physicists-and-mathematicians-regularly-invade-other-fields-but-other/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [I never got a pass mark in math... Just imagine - mathematicians now use my prints to illustrate their books. Funny me consorting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/i-never-got-a-pass-mark-in-math-just-imagine-mathematicians-now-use/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [We need scientists and mathematicians explaining why they are excited about their subjects but also why they are important for solving social problems, informing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/we-need-scientists-and-mathematicians-explaining-why-they-are-excited/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [If there should chance to be any mathematicians who, ignorant in mathematics yet pretending to skill in that science, should dare, upon the authority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolaus-copernicus/if-there-should-chance-to-be-any-mathematicians-who-ignorant-in/) [Nicolaus Copernicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolaus-copernicus/) > [It is a melancholy experience for a professional mathematician to find himself writing about mathematics. The function of a mathematician is to do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/it-is-a-melancholy-experience-for-a-professional-mathematician-to/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [Mathematicians, like cows in the dark, all look alike to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-flexner/mathematicians-like-cows-in-the-dark-all-look-alike-to-me/) [Abraham Flexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-flexner/) > [“Lots of people wrote to the magazine to say that Marilyn vos Savant was wrong, even when she explained very carefully why she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/lots-of-people-wrote-to-the-magazine-to-say-that-marilyn-vos-savant/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [“It was the engineer who determined what problems to investigate, designed the experiments, and defined the assignments for the mathematicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/it-was-the-engineer-who-determined-what-problems-to-investigate/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [In my experience most mathematicians are intellectually lazy and especially dislike reading experimental papers. 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Most of them are too far removed in their ivory towers to take up such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apostolos-doxiadis/as-for-mathematicians-themselves-don-t-expect-too-much-help-most-of/) [Apostolos Doxiadis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apostolos-doxiadis/) > [The greatest problem for mathematicians now is probably the Riemann Hypothesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/the-greatest-problem-for-mathematicians-now-is-probably-the-riemann/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [I like to move among painters, mathematicians, psychologists, people who can tell me something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-like-to-move-among-painters-mathematicians-psychologists-people-who/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [If enough money is involved and enough people believe that two plus two equals five the media will report the story with a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-enough-money-is-involved-and-enough-people-believe-that-two-plus/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) ## More by Dominic Cummings > [The reason why Whitehall is full of people failing in predictable ways on an hourly basis is because, first, there is general system-wide failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-reason-why-whitehall-is-full-of-people-failing-in-predictable/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [The audience for facts, evidence and research about microtargeting, Facebook and Brexit is tiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-audience-for-facts-evidence-and-research-about-microtargeting/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Physicists and mathematicians regularly invade other fields but other fields do not invade theirs so we can see which fields are hardest for very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/physicists-and-mathematicians-regularly-invade-other-fields-but-other/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Fundamental to real expertise is 1: whether the informational structure of the environment is sufficiently regular that it's possible to make good predictions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/fundamental-to-real-expertise-is-1-whether-the-informational/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [The panic over Sputnik brought many good things such as a huge increase in science funding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/the-panic-over-sputnik-brought-many-good-things-such-as-a-huge/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [In history books, luck is always underplayed and the talent of individuals is usually overplayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-history-books-luck-is-always-underplayed-and-the-talent-of/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Changing the world in a profound and beneficial way is not enough to put a dint in bureaucracies which operate on their own dynamics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/changing-the-world-in-a-profound-and-beneficial-way-is-not-enough-to/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [I make judgments about people and ideas individually - for me, parties are just a vehicle of convenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/i-make-judgments-about-people-and-ideas-individually-for-me-parties/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Usually in politics everything is done on hunches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/usually-in-politics-everything-is-done-on-hunches/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Technology enables people to improve communication with unprecedented speed, scale and iterative testing. It also allows people to wreak chaos with high leverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/technology-enables-people-to-improve-communication-with-unprecedented/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [If you want to avoid the usual fate in politics of failure, you need to understand some basic principles about why people make mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/if-you-want-to-avoid-the-usual-fate-in-politics-of-failure-you-need/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [It is hard to change people's minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/it-is-hard-to-change-people-s-minds/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Music is similar to sport. There is very fast feedback, learning, and a clear hierarchy of expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/music-is-similar-to-sport-there-is-very-fast-feedback-learning-and-a/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [MPs have no real knowledge of how to function other than via gimmick and briefings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/mps-have-no-real-knowledge-of-how-to-function-other-than-via-gimmick/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) [Explore all 100 Dominic Cummings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) ## More Ideas quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. 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It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Browse all 24,908 Ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The work of mathematicians on 'pure' problems has often yielded ideas that have waited to be rediscovered by physicists. 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