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The field of mathematics is now so extensive that no one can [any] longer pretend to cover it, least of all the specialist in any one department. Furthermore it takes a century or more to weigh men and their discoveries, thus making the judgment of contemporaries often quite worthless.

— David Eugene Smith

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Mathematics

More quotes by David Eugene Smith

He used capital vowels for the unknown quantities and capital consonants for the known, thus being able to express several unknowns and several knowns.

History of Mathematics (1925)

With the coming of the Jesuits in the 16th century, and the consequent introduction of Western science, China lost interest in her native algebra...

History of Mathematics (1925)

He... gave thirteen forms of the cubic which have positive roots, these having already been given by Omar Kayyam.

History of Mathematics (1925)

He states that the root of x^3 + 6x = 20 isx = \sqrt[3]{\sqrt{108} + 10} - \sqrt[3]{\sqrt{108} - 10}.

History of Mathematics (1925)

The excellent work of Tropfke is an example of the tendency to break away from the mere chronological recital of facts.

History of Mathematics (1923)

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Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.

Kenneth Boulding to Kenneth Boulding in: United States. Congress. House (1973)

If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is: infinite.

William Blake The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

Pure mathematics consists entirely of assertions to the effect that, if such and such a proposition is true of anything, then such and such another proposition is true of that thing.

Bertrand Russell

The land of easy mathematics where he who works adds up and he who retires subtracts.

Núria Añó

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: David Eugene Smith (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.