Gregory Chaitin

Gødel Turing mathematics computer joke

"So in the end it wasn't Gödel, it wasn't Turing, and it wasn't my results that are making mathematics go into an experimental mathematics direction, in a quasi-empirical direction. The reason why mathematicians are changing their working habits is the computer. I think that this is an excellent joke!"

—Gregory Chaitin

Hamlet horatio heaven earth dream philosophy

"As Hamlet tells his friend, ``There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'' Well then, we must try harder to dream!"

—Gregory Chaitin

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"A random sequence is one that cannot be algorithmically compressed : the shortest description of a random sequence is simply the sequence itself."

—Gregory Chaitin

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"In a way, math isn't the art of answering mathematical questions, it is the art of asking the right questions, the questions that give you insight, the ones that lead you in interesting directions, the ones that connect with lots of other interesting questions -the ones with beautiful answers."

—Gregory Chaitin

randomness foundation mathematics

"Randomness is the true foundation of mathematics."

—Gregory Chaitin

bertrand russell mathematician philosopher humanist downhill

"Bertrand Russell started off as a mathematician and then degenerated into a philosopher and finally into a humanist; he went downhill rapidly!"

—Gregory Chaitin