DIXIT

Perché la matematica è chiamata così ? I Peripatetici, che dicono che la retorica, la poesia e la musica popolare possono essere praticate anche senza essere studiate, ma che nessuno può capire le cose che vengono chiamate con il nome matematica senza prima averle studiate, rispondono che per questa ragione la teoria di queste cose è detta matematica.

Anatolio, III secolo d. C.

Il buon cristiano deve stare in guardia contro i matematici e tutti coloro che fanno profezie vacue. Esiste già il pericolo che i matematici abbiano fatto un patto col diavolo per oscurare lo spirito e confinare l’umanità nelle spire dell’inferno

Sant’Agostino (354-430)

"nessuna certezza è dove non si può applicare una delle scienze matematiche over che sono unite con esse matematiche"

"quelli che s'innamorano della pratica senza la scienza, sono come i nocchieri che entrano in naviglio senza timone o bussola, che mai hanno certezza dove si vadano"

Leonardo (1452-1519)

Vita brevis, sensus ebes, negligentiae torpor et inutiles occupationes, nos paucula scire permittent. Et aliquotiens scita excutit ab animo per temporum lapsum fraudatrix scientiae et inimica memoriae praeceps oblivio.

Copernicus (1473-1543)

Io stimo più il trovar un vero benché di cosa leggiera che il disputar lungamente delle massime questioni senza conseguire verità nissuna.

Galileo (1564-1642)

La matematica e' arte diabolica e che li matematici, come authori di tutte le heresie, doverebbero esser scacciati da tutti li stati

Fra' Tommaso Caccini, 21/12/1614

The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics.

Kepler (1571-1630)

It is useful to consider quantities infinitely small such that when their ratio is sought, they may not be considered as zero but which are rejected as often as they occur with quantities incomparably greater. Thus if we have x + dx, dx is rejected. But it is different if we seek the difference between x + dx and x. Similarly we cannot have x dx and dx dx standing together. Hence if we are to differentiate xy we write (x + dx)(y+ dy) – xy = x dy + y dx + dx dy. But here dxdy is to be rejected as incomparably less than x dy + y dx. Thus in any particular case, the error is less than any finite quantity.

Gottfried W. Leibniz, letter to John Wallis, March 30, 1690

A Vulgar Mechanick can practice what he has been taught or seen done, but if he is in error he knows not how to find it out and correct it, and if you put him out of his road, he is at stand; Whereas he that is able to reason nimbly and judiciously about figure, force and motion, is never at rest till he gets over every rub.

Isaac Newton to Nathaniel Hawes, May 25, 1694

In the sciences, every one has so much as he really knowns and comprehends. What he believes only, and takes on trust, are but shreds.

John Locke (1632–1704)

Car tout a des révolutions reglées, et l'obscurité se terminera par un nouveau siecle de lumiere. Nous serons plus frappés du grand jour, après avoir été quelque temps dans les ténebres. Elles seront comme une espece d'anarchie très-funeste par elle-même, mais quelquefois utile par ses suites. Gardons-nous pourtant de souhaiter une révolution si redoutable; la barbarie dure des siecles, il semble que ce soit notre élément; la raison et le bon goût ne font que passer.

Jean le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783)

L'étude approfondie de la nature est la source la plus féconde des découvertes mathématiques.

Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768-1830)

Among all the disciplines of mathematics, the theory of differential equations is the most important one. All areas of physics pose problems which lead to the integration of differential equations. In fact, it is the theory of differential equations which shows the way to understanding all time-dependent natural phenomena. If, on the one hand, the theory of differential equations has extreme practical significance, then, on the other hand, it attains a corresponding theoretical importance because it leads in rational way to the study of new functions or classes of functions.

Sophus Lie (1842-1899)

Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary conditions.

Alan Turing (1912-1954)

Young man, in mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them.

John Von Neumann (1903-1957)