--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The mathematician is entirely free…" description: "\"The mathematician is entirely free, within the limits of the imagination, to construct what worlds he pleases.\" — J. W. N. Sullivan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/j-w-n-sullivan-42385_constructs_the-mathematician-is-entirely-free-withi_2727372.jpg" --- # The mathematician is entirely free, within the limits of… ![“The mathematician is entirely free, within the limits of the imagination, to construct what worlds he pleases.” quote by J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/j-w-n-sullivan-42385_constructs_the-mathematician-is-entirely-free-withi_2727372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/j-w-n-sullivan-42385_constructs_the-mathematician-is-entirely-free-withi_2727372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/j-w-n-sullivan-42385_constructs_the-mathematician-is-entirely-free-withi_2727372.jpg) > “The mathematician is entirely free, within the limits of the imagination, to construct what worlds he pleases.” [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mathematicians can freely create imagined worlds within the bounds of their imagination. **In simple terms:** Mathematicians freely invent imagined worlds. Key Takeaway Explore creative freedom in mathematical thought. Themes creativity mathematics imagination freedom philosophy Mood inspired intellectual curious Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - research - education - theoretical modeling - artistic collaboration Key Concepts abstract theory conceptual art logic infinite possibilities Questions to Reflect On - How does imagination drive mathematical breakthroughs? - What limits exist for creative thought? A Different Perspective Imagination is still constrained by logical consistency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Math](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/math/) [Mathematical logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematical-logic/) [Mathematician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematician/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The mathematician is entirely free, within the limits of his imagination, to construct what worlds he pleases. What he is to imagine is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/the-mathematician-is-entirely-free-within-the-limits-of-his/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [Someone that you have deprived of everything is no longer in your power. He is once again entirely free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-that-you-have-deprived-of-everything-is-no-longer-in-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [While any one is base, none can be entirely free and noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/while-any-one-is-base-none-can-be-entirely-free-and-noble/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [Mathematics is entirely free in its development, and its concepts are only linked by the necessity of being consistent, and are co-ordinated with concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-cantor/mathematics-is-entirely-free-in-its-development-and-its-concepts-are/) [Georg Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-cantor/) > [None, while in flesh, can be entirely free from himsa, because one never completely renounces the will to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/none-while-in-flesh-can-be-entirely-free-from-himsa-because-one-never/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Elections matter, but how much they matter depends entirely on how free, open and fair they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/elections-matter-but-how-much-they-matter-depends-entirely-on-how/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [To be entirely free, and at the same time entirely dominated by law, is the eternal paradox of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-be-entirely-free-and-at-the-same-time-entirely-dominated-by-law-is/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The Master was entirely free from four things: prejudice, foregone conclusions, obstinacy, and egoism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-master-was-entirely-free-from-four-things-prejudice-foregone/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Comics, at least in periodical form, exist almost entirely free of any pretense; the critical world of art hardly touches them, and they're 100% personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ware/comics-at-least-in-periodical-form-exist-almost-entirely-free-of-any/) [Chris Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ware/) > [We must reserve a back shop all our own entirely free, in which to establish our real liberty and our principal retreat and solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/we-must-reserve-a-back-shop-all-our-own-entirely-free-in-which-to/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The fact is there are few more popular subjects than mathematics. 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God created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/six-is-a-number-perfect-in-itself-and-not-because-god-created-the/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [Much of what I make is geometric, and has a kind of almost mathematical logic to the form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anish-kapoor/much-of-what-i-make-is-geometric-and-has-a-kind-of-almost/) [Anish Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anish-kapoor/) > [The pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-pursuit-of-mathematics-is-a-divine-madness-of-the-human-spirit/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) ## More by J. W. N. Sullivan > [It is much easier to make measurements than to know exactly what you are measuring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/it-is-much-easier-to-make-measurements-than-to-know-exactly-what-you/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [It is certain that the real function of art is to increase our self-consciousness; to make us more aware of what we are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/it-is-certain-that-the-real-function-of-art-is-to-increase-our-self/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [... it is certain that the real function of art is to increase our self-consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/it-is-certain-that-the-real-function-of-art-is-to-increase-our-self-2/) [J. W. N. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-w-n-sullivan/) > [We have reached one of the great stages in the adventure of thought … We are required to see the universe with new eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-w-n-sullivan/we-have-reached-one-of-the-great-stages-in-the-adventure-of-thought/) [J. W. N. 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