Home / Quotes / Quote by Israel Gelfand

Quote by Israel Gelfand

“... The approach of von Neumann and Connes to the use of non-commutative algebra in physics is naive, the situation is much more complicated.”

Quote by Israel Gelfand

Author

Israel Gelfand (September 2, 1913 - October 5, 2009) was a prominent mathematician of the 20th century, known for his work in algebra, group theory, functional analysis, and mathematical physics. His research had a profound impact on the development of modern mathematics. more

You May Also Like

“They have the idea that non-commutative algebra should remind one of commutative algebra, but the former is more sophisticated. I believe that non-commutative algebra is just as simple, but it is different.”

Should Believe Ideas Different Science I Believe Simple Mathematics Former Sophisticated Algebra

Author:Israel Gelfand

“I used to say: "Everything is Representation Theory". Now I say: "Nothing is Representation Theory".”

Science Used Theory Mathematics Representation

Author:Israel Gelfand

“In the Middle Age, in Germany, if you wanted to learn addition and multiplication, you could go to any university. But if you wanted to learn division, you could only do it in one place, Heidelberg. This makes sense, since in my theory with Vladimir Retakh and Robert Wilson, addition and multiplications are cheap, but division is expensive.”

Ifs Age Wanted Science Middle Theory Mathematics University Make Sense Germany Expensive Division Middle Ages Wilson Multiplication

Author:Israel Gelfand

“Like musicians who can read and write complicated scores in a world without sounds, for us mathematics is a source of delight, excitement, and even controversy which are hard to share with non mathematicians. In our small micro-cosmos we should ever seek the right balance between competition and solidarity, criticism and empathy, exclusion and inclusion.”

“I was just sitting on the train, just staring out the window at some cows. It was not the most inspiring subject. When all of a sudden the idea of Harry just appeared in my mind's eye.”

Mind Ideas Eye Science Subjects Sitting Window Mathematics Train Staring Cows Most Inspiring Staring Out The Window

Author:J. K. Rowling

“A mathematician experiments, amasses information, makes a conjecture, finds out that it does not work, gets confused and then tries to recover. A good mathematician eventually does so - and proves a theorem.”

Trying Doe Science Information Prove Mathematics Experiments Confused Mathematician Theorems Conjecture

Author:Steven G. Krantz

“Two lines must meet at a point. Therefore there are only two surprises here.”

Two Science Lines Mathematics Surprise

Author:Nathan Seiberg

“This is a rather unusual situation in physics. We perform approximate calculations which are valid only in some regime and this gives us the exact answer. This is a theorist's heaven- exact results with approximate methods.”

Giving Science Heaven Answers Results Situation Mathematics Method Physics Unusual Regimes Calculations Theorists

Author:Nathan Seiberg

“We do not know how to formulate string theory nor do we know its underlying principles. Surprisingly, this fact does not stop us from making progress.”

Knows Doe Facts Science Principles Know How Progress Theory Mathematics Strings String Theory

Author:Nathan Seiberg

“When I began going to school and learned to read, I encountered stories of other people and other lands.”

People Stories School Land

Author:Chinua Achebe