Arbitrary Quote by Emile Borel
“Any argument where one supposes an arbitrary choice to be made an uncountably infinite number of times ...[is] outside the domain of mathematics.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Foundations of Mathematics, 1912
Choosing an arbitrary option infinitely often exceeds mathematical rigor, making arguments ill-defined.
In simple terms: Infinite arbitrary choices are mathematically invalid.
Stay within defined mathematical domains.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- formal proofs
- theoretical research
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What are limits of formalism?
- How to handle infinite choices in practice?
Practical problems may require approximations beyond strict math.