Proof is the idol before whom the pure mathematician tortures himself.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mathematicians often struggle intensely to provide absolute proof for their theories.
- In plain terms
- Mathematicians torture themselves trying to prove things.
- What can you take from it?
- Proof is a high standard in mathematics.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why is proof so hard?
- Is suffering necessary for discovery?
Another view
The metaphor may overstate the suffering involved in math.
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