--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It appears to me that if one wants to…" description: "\"It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils.\" — Niels Henrik Abel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg" --- # It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in… ![“It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils.” quote by Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg) > “It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils.” [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying the works of great mathematicians is more beneficial than focusing on contemporary students. **In simple terms:** Learn from masters, not peers. Key Takeaway Study classic texts. Themes education mathematics learning history Mood analytical inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - University courses - self‑study - research projects Key Concepts Master‑apprentice model canonical works Questions to Reflect On - Which masters influence you? - How to balance classic and modern sources? A Different Perspective Modern research can also be inspiring. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) ## Related quotes > [By studying the masters and not their pupils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/by-studying-the-masters-and-not-their-pupils/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [With but a few exceptions, we don't have this personal study under masters any more. Craftsmanship has sunk very low. We no longer have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/with-but-a-few-exceptions-we-don-t-have-this-personal-study-under/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [The progress of mathematics can be viewed as progress from the infinite to the finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/the-progress-of-mathematics-can-be-viewed-as-progress-from-the/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) > [I finally reached the conclusion that mathematics was the study I was best fitted to follow, though I did not clearly see in what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-newcomb/i-finally-reached-the-conclusion-that-mathematics-was-the-study-i-was/) [Simon Newcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-newcomb/) > [“Mathematics is the study of anything that obeys the rules of logic, using the rules of logic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenia-cheng/mathematics-is-the-study-of-anything-that-obeys-the-rules-of-logic/) Eugenia Cheng > [What is mathematics? Ask this question of person chosen at random, and you are likely to receive the answer "Mathematics is the study of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-devlin/what-is-mathematics-ask-this-question-of-person-chosen-at-random-and/) [Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-devlin/) > [We in science are spoiled by the success of mathematics. Mathematics is the study of problems so simple that they have good solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitfield-diffie/we-in-science-are-spoiled-by-the-success-of-mathematics-mathematics/) [Whitfield Diffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitfield-diffie/) > [Mathematics is the study of analogies between analogies. All science is. Scientists want to show that things that don't look alike are really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-carlo-rota/mathematics-is-the-study-of-analogies-between-analogies-all-science/) [Gian-Carlo Rota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-carlo-rota/) > [Reason must approach nature with the view, indeed, of receiving information from it, not, however, in the character of a pupil, who listens to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/reason-must-approach-nature-with-the-view-indeed-of-receiving/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [For every one pupil who needs to be guarded against a weak excess of sensibility there are three who need to be awakened from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-every-one-pupil-who-needs-to-be-guarded-against-a-weak-excess-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A genius is always a teacher, never a pupil; he is always self-made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/a-genius-is-always-a-teacher-never-a-pupil-he-is-always-self-made/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Any piece of knowledge which the pupil has himself acquired- any problem which he has himself solved, becomes, by virtue of the conquest, much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/any-piece-of-knowledge-which-the-pupil-has-himself-acquired-any/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-plain-fact-is-that-education-is-itself-a-form-of-propaganda-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Since Pawlow and his pupils have succeeded in causing the secretion of saliva in the dog by means of optic and acoustic signals, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-loeb/since-pawlow-and-his-pupils-have-succeeded-in-causing-the-secretion/) [Jacques Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-loeb/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) ## More by Niels Henrik Abel > [By studying the masters and not their pupils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/by-studying-the-masters-and-not-their-pupils/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [Until now the theory of infinite series in general has been very badly grounded. One applies all the operations to infinite series as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/until-now-the-theory-of-infinite-series-in-general-has-been-very/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [There are very few theorems in advanced analysis which have been demonstrated in a logically tenable manner. Everywhere one finds this miserable way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/there-are-very-few-theorems-in-advanced-analysis-which-have-been/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [With the exception of the geometrical series, there does not exist in all of mathematics a single infinite series the sum of which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/with-the-exception-of-the-geometrical-series-there-does-not-exist-in/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [The divergent series are the invention of the devil, and it is a shame to base on them any demonstration whatsoever. By using them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/the-divergent-series-are-the-invention-of-the-devil-and-it-is-a-shame/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [I shall devote all my efforts to bring light into the immense obscurity that today reigns in Analysis. It so lacks any plan or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/i-shall-devote-all-my-efforts-to-bring-light-into-the-immense/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [“ 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/) > [He is like the fox, who effaces his tracks in the sand with his tail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/he-is-like-the-fox-who-effaces-his-tracks-in-the-sand-with-his-tail-2/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [The mathematicians have been very much absorbed with finding the general solution of algebraic equations, and several of them have tried to prove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/the-mathematicians-have-been-very-much-absorbed-with-finding-the/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) [Explore all 10 Niels Henrik Abel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Niels Henrik Abel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-make-progress-in-mathematics/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-make-progress-in-mathematics/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/niels-henrik-abel-41324_education_it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-ma_952764.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the…” — Niels Henrik Abel", "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": "Niels Henrik Abel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It appears to me that if...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-make-progress-in-mathematics/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/it-appears-to-me-that-if-one-wants-to-make-progress-in-mathematics/#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 } } ] } ```