If one were to bring ten of the wisest men in the world together and ask them what was the most stupid thing in existence, they would not be able to discover anything so stupid as astrology.
David HilbertRead
The art of doing mathematics consists in finding that special case which contains all the germs of generality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mathematics is about identifying specific cases that reveal broader principles.
David Hilbert's quote emphasizes the significance of pinpointing unique cases in mathematics that embody foundational concepts applicable to more general situations. It suggests that true understanding in mathematical exploration arises from these particular instances, which serve as a microcosm of broader principles and theories.
Themes
MathematicsGeneralitySpecial CaseUnderstandingPrinciples
In practice
Example use cases
In a mathematics class, you might use this quote to illustrate the importance of studying specific examples to understand general concepts.
More from David Hilbert
All quotes βThe further a mathematical theory is developed, the more harmoniously and uniformly does its construction proceed, and unsuspected relations are disclosed between hitherto separated branches of the science.
David HilbertRead
Wir mussen wissen. Wir werden wissen. We must know. We will know. Inscribed on his tomb in Gilttingen.
David HilbertRead
Mathematics is a game played according to certain simple rules with meaningless marks on paper.
David HilbertRead
No one shall expel us from the paradise that Cantor has created for us.
David HilbertRead
Mathematical science is in my opinion an indivisible whole, an organism whose vitality is conditioned upon the connection of its parts.
David HilbertRead
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