Quaternions came from Hamilton after his really good work had been done, and though beautifully ingenious, have been an unmixed evil to those who have touched them in any way.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Despite their ingenuity, quaternions became a burden rather than a tool for most who used them.
- In plain terms
- Quaternions were clever but ended up causing more trouble than help.
- What can you take from it?
- Complex mathematical tools can become obstacles instead of aids.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does complexity hurt progress?
- How do you judge a tools value?
Another view
Quaternions did find niche applications in physics later on.
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