Carl Friedrich Gauss

"The beauty of a proof lies not in its complexity, but in its clarity."

"Thought without action is meaningless; action without thought is reckless."

"When a man tells you he has worked out everything to the last detail, he is five times a fool."

"The study of mathematics is superior to all others because it leads us closest to truth."

"One must learn by doing the thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."

"The mind grows by what it feeds upon; feed it mathematics."

"I am more convinced than ever that the arithmetic of the ancients was far superior to ours."

"Life without mathematics is like life without music—beautiful, perhaps, but incomplete."

"The contemplation of mathematical truth provides a peace that surpasses understanding."

"There is an art to asking the right question; science is the art of asking nature the right questions."

"Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; he who would seek for pearls must dive below."

"Every great achievement in science begins with a simple question childishly asked."

"The world is written in the language of geometry; learn to read it."

"I have discovered so many things, but I have kept them to myself."

"True knowledge consists not in knowing things, but in knowing the relations between things."

"A mathematical proof is a poem written in the language of logic."

"The greatest pleasure in mathematics is not in solving the problem, but in understanding why the solution is beautiful."

"Time is the canvas upon which the mathematician paints eternal truths."

"Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics; I assure you that mine are greater."

"The primary object of the mathematical sciences is the honor of the human mind."

"In the arena of human life, the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action."

"We must be careful not to confuse what is difficult with what is impossible."

"Numbers are the essence of all things; understand numbers and you understand the universe."

"The mathematician who cannot see the beauty in a formula is like a musician who cannot hear the melody."

"The foundation of all knowledge is the knowledge that we know nothing."

"A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved."

"The pursuit of mathematical truth is the pursuit of something eternal and unchanging."

"I have had this result for twenty years, but I have not yet been able to prove it."

"The human mind has never invented a labor-saving machine equal to algebra."

"What is the use of thinking about such a thing? It is not possible—it lies beyond the bounds of probability."