--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we except the great name of Newton…" description: "\"If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception is one that the great Gauss himself would have been delighted to make) it is probable that no ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg" --- # If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception… ![“If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception is one that the great Gauss himself would have been delighted to make) it is probable that no mathematician of any age or country has ever surpassed Gauss in the combination of an abundant fertility of invention with an absolute vigorousness…” quote by Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg) > “If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception is one that the great Gauss himself would have been delighted to make) it is probable that no mathematician of any age or country has ever surpassed Gauss in the combination of an abundant fertility of invention with an absolute vigorousness in demonstration.” [Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gauss exemplifies a rare blend of creative invention and rigorous proof, surpassing most mathematicians. **In simple terms:** Gauss combined creativity with strong proof. Key Takeaway Study both invention and proof. Themes mathematics genius creativity Mood respectful inspirational Type historical educational When to use this quote - academic research - teaching - problem solving Key Concepts innovation rigor historical comparison Questions to Reflect On - How can one develop both invention and proof skills? - What limits modern mathematicians? A Different Perspective Gauss’s exceptional balance is hard to replicate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Demonstration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demonstration/) [Fertility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fertility/) [Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gauss/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newton/) ## Related quotes > [“Mighty men of science and mighty deeds. A Newton who binds the universe together in uniform law; Lagrange, Laplace, Leibnitz with their wondrous mathematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-sanderson/mighty-men-of-science-and-mighty-deeds-a-newton-who-binds-the/) Frederick William Sanderson > [“...and his analysis proved him to be the first of theoretical astronomers no less than the greatest of 'arithmeticians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-w-rouse-ball-2/and-his-analysis-proved-him-to-be-the-first-of-theoretical/) W.W. Rouse Ball > [The best that Gauss has given us was likewise an exclusive production. If he had not created his geometry of surfaces, which served Riemann…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-best-that-gauss-has-given-us-was-likewise-an-exclusive-production/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Before I walked into the door, the room got shades darker as a cloud did a summersault in front of the sun. I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/before-i-walked-into-the-door-the-room-got-shades-darker-as-a-cloud/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The importance of C.F. Gauss for the development of modern physical theory and especially for the mathematical fundament of the theory of relativity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-importance-of-c-f-gauss-for-the-development-of-modern-physical/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [It's your life story if you're a mathematician: every time you discover something neat, you discover that Gauss or Newton knew it in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gosper/it-s-your-life-story-if-you-re-a-mathematician-every-time-you/) Bill Gosper > [“ He is like the fox, who effaces his tracks in the sand with his tail. { Describing the writing style of famous mathematician…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/he-is-like-the-fox-who-effaces-his-tracks-in-the-sand-with-his-tail/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [Gauss replied, when asked how soon he expected to reach certain mathematical conclusions, that he had them long ago, all he was worrying about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/gauss-replied-when-asked-how-soon-he-expected-to-reach-certain/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [“If the theory of numbers could be employed for any practical and obviously honourable purpose, if it could be turned directly to the furtherance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy-2/if-the-theory-of-numbers-could-be-employed-for-any-practical-and/) [G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy-2/) > [ \[Gauss calculated the elements of the planet Ceres\] and his analysis proved him to be the first of theoretical astronomers no less than the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-w-rouse-ball/gauss-calculated-the-elements-of-the-planet-ceres-and-his-analysis/) W. W. Rouse Ball > [“The great masters of modern analysis are Lagrange , Laplace , and Gauss , who were contemporaries. It is interesting to note the marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-w-rouse-ball-2/the-great-masters-of-modern-analysis-are-lagrange-laplace-and-gauss/) W.W. Rouse Ball > [ “\[On scientist Carl Friedrich Gauss\] \[Carl Friedrich\] Gauss told his friend Rudolf Wagner, a professor of biology at Gottingen University, that he did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-falk/on-scientist-carl-friedrich-gauss-carl-friedrich-gauss-told-his/) Gerhard Falk > [ The mathematical giant \[Gauss\], who from his lofty heights embraces in one view the stars and the abysses ... ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farkas-bolyai/the-mathematical-giant-gauss-who-from-his-lofty-heights-embraces-in/) [Farkas Bolyai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farkas-bolyai/) > [“Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy laws my services are bound... { His second motto, from King Lear by Shakespeare }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/thou-nature-art-my-goddess-to-thy-laws-my-services-are-bound-his/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) > [“In describing the honourable mission I charged him with, M. Pernety informed me that he made my name known to you . This leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-germain/in-describing-the-honourable-mission-i-charged-him-with-m-pernety-2/) [Sophie Germain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-germain/) ## More by Henry John Stephen Smith > [It is the peculiar beauty of this method, gentlemen, and one which endears it to the really scientific mind, that under no circumstance can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/it-is-the-peculiar-beauty-of-this-method-gentlemen-and-one-which/) [Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) > [For each successive class of phenomena, a new calculus or a new geometry, as the case might be, which might prove not wholly inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/for-each-successive-class-of-phenomena-a-new-calculus-or-a-new/) [Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) > [Pure mathematics, may it never be of any use to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/pure-mathematics-may-it-never-be-of-any-use-to-anyone/) [Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) > [Poor teaching leads to the inevitable idea that the subject (mathematics) is only adapted to peculiar minds, when it is the one universal science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/poor-teaching-leads-to-the-inevitable-idea-that-the-subject/) [Henry John Stephen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) [Explore all 5 Henry John Stephen Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception is one that the great Gauss himself would have been delighted to make) it is probable that no mathematician of any age or country has ever surpassed Gauss in the combination of an abundant fertility of invention with an absolute vigorousness in demonstration.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry John Stephen Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-and-the-exception-is-one-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-and-the-exception-is-one-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c43/henry-john-stephen-smith-58746_absolutes_if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-an_2996430.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we except the great name of Newton (and the exception is one that the great Gauss himself would have been…” — Henry John Stephen Smith", "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": "Henry John Stephen Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-john-stephen-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we except the great name...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-and-the-exception-is-one-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-john-stephen-smith/if-we-except-the-great-name-of-newton-and-the-exception-is-one-that/#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 } } ] } ```