Stanislaw Ulam

big small important differential equation

"Knowing what is big and what is small is more important than being able to solve partial differential equations."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

worth saying fifty words

"Whatever is worth saying, can be stated in fifty words or less."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

mathematician great deal very little physicist

"The mathematicians know a great deal about very little and the physicists very little about a great deal."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

theorem useful elegant

"It is not so much whether a theorem is useful that matters, but how elegant it is."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

mathematics escape reality niche drug

"In many cases, mathematics is an escape from reality. The mathematician finds his own monastic niche and happiness in pursuits that are disconnected from external affairs. Some practice it as if using a drug."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

new sun Archimedes

"... there's nothing new under the sun - everything can be traced back to Archimedes or even earlier."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

mathematics definition something else

"What exactly is mathematics? Many have tried but nobody has really succeeded in defining mathematics; it is always something else.”

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

infinite right away finite longer

“The infinite we shall do right away. The finite may take a little longer.”

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

mathematics escape reality

“Mathematics is an escape from reality.”

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)

social science proposition true non-trivial

"Name me one proposition in all of the social sciences which is both true and non-trivial."

— Stanislaw Ulam (1909-1984)