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Top 20 Gian-Carlo Rota Quotes (2025 Update)

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “There is something in statistics that makes it very similar to astrology.”

1. “There is something in statistics that makes it very similar to astrology.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity, had to invent finite sets.”

2. “God created infinity, and man, unable to understand infinity, had to invent finite sets.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “The lack of real contact between mathematics and biology is either a tragedy, a scandal or a challenge, it is hard to decide which.”

3. “The lack of real contact between mathematics and biology is either a tragedy, a scandal or a challenge, it is hard to decide which.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “We often hear that mathematics consists mainly of “proving theorems.” Is a writer’s job mainly that of “writing sentences?””

4. “We often hear that mathematics consists mainly of “proving theorems.” Is a writer’s job mainly that of “writing sentences?””

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “The apex of mathematical achievement occurs when two or more fields which were thought to be entirely unrelated turn out to be closely intertwined. Mathematicians have never decided whether they should feel excited or upset by such events.”

5. “The apex of mathematical achievement occurs when two or more fields which were thought to be entirely unrelated turn out to be closely intertwined. Mathematicians have never decided whether they should feel excited or upset by such events.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “The advice we give others is the advice that we ourselves need.”

6. “The advice we give others is the advice that we ourselves need.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “How did he do it? He must be a genius!”

7. “How did he do it? He must be a genius!”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “If we have no idea why a statement is true, we can still prove it by induction.”

8. “If we have no idea why a statement is true, we can still prove it by induction.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “The progress of mathematics can be viewed as progress from the infinite to the finite.”

9. “The progress of mathematics can be viewed as progress from the infinite to the finite.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Nature imitates mathematics.”

10. “Nature imitates mathematics.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Mathematics is the study of analogies between analogies. All science is. Scientists want to show that things that don’t look alike are really the same. That is one of their innermost Freudian motivations. In fact, that is what we mean by understanding.”

11. “Mathematics is the study of analogies between analogies. All science is. Scientists want to show that things that don’t look alike are really the same. That is one of their innermost Freudian motivations. In fact, that is what we mean by understanding.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Making mathematics accessible to the educated layman, while keeping high scientific standards, has always been considered a treacherous navigation between the Scylla of professional contempt and the Charybdis of public misunderstanding.”

12. “Making mathematics accessible to the educated layman, while keeping high scientific standards, has always been considered a treacherous navigation between the Scylla of professional contempt and the Charybdis of public misunderstanding.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Mathematicians – for what they do – are really poorly rewarded. And it’s a very competitive field, almost as bad as being a concert pianist.”

13. “Mathematicians – for what they do – are really poorly rewarded. And it’s a very competitive field, almost as bad as being a concert pianist.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Our faith in Mathematics is not likely to wane if we openly acknowledge that the personalities of even the greatest mathematicians may be as flawed as those of anyone else.”

14. “Our faith in Mathematics is not likely to wane if we openly acknowledge that the personalities of even the greatest mathematicians may be as flawed as those of anyone else.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “The pendulum of mathematics swings back and forth towards abstraction and away from it with a timing that remains to be estimated.”

15. “The pendulum of mathematics swings back and forth towards abstraction and away from it with a timing that remains to be estimated.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “A mathematician’s work is mostly a tangle of guesswork, analogy, wishful thinking and frustration, and proof, far from being the core of discovery, is more often than not a way of making sure that our minds are not playing tricks.”

16. “A mathematician’s work is mostly a tangle of guesswork, analogy, wishful thinking and frustration, and proof, far from being the core of discovery, is more often than not a way of making sure that our minds are not playing tricks.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Philosophers and psychiatrists should explain why it is that we mathematicians are in the habit of systematically erasing our footsteps. Scientists have always looked askance at this strange habit of mathematicians, which has changed little from Pythagoras to our day.”

17. “Philosophers and psychiatrists should explain why it is that we mathematicians are in the habit of systematically erasing our footsteps. Scientists have always looked askance at this strange habit of mathematicians, which has changed little from Pythagoras to our day.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “A technique is a trick that works.”

18. “A technique is a trick that works.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “It is a common public relations gimmick to give the entire credit for the solution of famous problems to the one mathematician who is responsible for the last step.”

19. “It is a common public relations gimmick to give the entire credit for the solution of famous problems to the one mathematician who is responsible for the last step.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Are mathematical ideas invented or discovered? This question has been repeatedly posed by philosophers through the ages and will probably be with us forever.”

20. “Are mathematical ideas invented or discovered? This question has been repeatedly posed by philosophers through the ages and will probably be with us forever.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Very little mathematics has direct applications – though fortunately most of it has plenty of indirect ones.”

21. “Very little mathematics has direct applications – though fortunately most of it has plenty of indirect ones.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Theorems are not to mathematics what successful courses are to a meal.”

22. “Theorems are not to mathematics what successful courses are to a meal.”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

Gian-Carlo Rota Quote: “Mathematicians also make terrible salesmen. Physicists can discover the same thing as a mathematician and say ‘We’ve discovered a great new law of nature. Give us a billion dollars.’ And if it doesn’t change the world, then they say, ‘There’s an even deeper thing. Give us another billion dollars.’”

23. “Mathematicians also make terrible salesmen. Physicists can discover the same thing as a mathematician and say ‘We’ve discovered a great new law of nature. Give us a billion dollars.’ And if it doesn’t change the world, then they say, ‘There’s an even deeper thing. Give us another billion dollars.’”

— Gian-Carlo Rota

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