Henri Poincare
Henri Poincare
Jules Henri Poincaréwas a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer, and a philosopher of science. He is often described as a polymath, and in mathematics as The Last Universalist by Eric Temple Bell, since he excelled in all fields of the discipline as it existed during his lifetime...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionMathematician
Date of Birth29 April 1854
CountryFrance
nature work artist
A scientist worthy of his name, about all a mathematician, experiences in his work the same impression as an artist; his pleasure is as great and of the same nature.
art math names
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things. [As opposed to the quotation: Poetry is the art of giving different names to the same thing].
art math names
Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
beauty beautiful art
But for harmony beautiful to contemplate, science would not be worth following.
art math figures
Geometry is the art of correct reasoning from incorrectly drawn figures.
means necessary neither nor
Thus, be it understood, to demonstrate a theorem, it is neither necessary nor even advantageous to know what it means . . . .
american-journalist governed phenomenon succeeding
If that enabled us to predict the succeeding situation with the same approximation, that is all we require, and we should say that the phenomenon had been predicted, that it is governed by the laws.
avoiding consists infinite invention useful useless
Invention consists in avoiding the constructing of useless contraptions and in constructing the useful combinations which are in infinite minority. To invent is to discern, to choose.
american-journalist cannot cause determines due effect escapes notice
A very small cause which escapes our notice determines a considerable effect that we cannot fail to see, and then we say that the effect is due to chance.
american-journalist believe both convenient equally necessity
To doubt everything, or, to believe everything, are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.
american-journalist species
It has adopted the geometry most advantageous to the species or, in other words, the most convenient.
american-journalist relations remain replace
Thus, they are free to replace some objects by others so long as the relations remain unchanged.
american-journalist
No more than these machines need the mathematician know what he does.
wish different looks
If one looks at the different problems of the integral calculus which arise naturally when one wishes to go deep into the different parts of physics, it is impossible not to be struck by the analogies existing.