Portrait of Morris Kline

Morris Kline

1908–1992

American mathematician

God exists since mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists since we cannot prove the consistency.

TOPICS: God, humor

The tantalizing and compelling pursuit of mathematical problems offers mental absorption, peace of mind amid endless challenges, repose in activity, battle without conflict, refuge from the goading urgency of contingent happenings, and the sort of beauty changeless mountains present to senses tried by the present-day kaleidoscope of events.

TOPICS: problems, learning

Statistics: the mathematical theory of ignorance.

TOPICS: statistics, humor

Mathematicians create by acts of insight and intuition. Logic then sanctions the conquests of intuition.

TOPICS: mathematicians, intuition, logic

Logic is the art of going wrong with confidence.

TOPICS: logic, humor