Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Michael Atiyah

Quote by Michael Atiyah

“If theory is the role of the architect, then such beautiful proofs are the role of the craftsman. Of course, as with the great renaissance artists, such roles are not mutually exclusive. A great cathedral has both structural impressiveness and delicate detail. A great mathematical theory should similarly be beautiful on both large and small scales.”

Quote by Michael Atiyah

Author

Michael Atiyah
Michael Atiyah

Michael Atiyah, born on April 22, 1929, is a renowned mathematician from the United Kingdom. He has made significant contributions to various fields of mathematics, particularly in topology, geometry, and mathematical physics. Atiyah is known for his research in K-theory, index theorems, and geometric analysis. more

You May Also Like

“The Besicovitch style is architectural. He builds out of simply elements a delicate and complicated architectural structure, usually with a hierarchical plan, and then, when the building is finished, the completed structure leads by simple arguments to an unexpected conclusion. Every Besicovitch proof is a work of art, as carefully constructed as a Bach fugue.”

“For though, in nature, depth and height Are equally held infinite: In poetry, the height we know; 'Tis only infinite below.”

“Not only in geometry, but to a still more astonishing degree in physics, has it become more and more evident that as soon as we have succeeded in unraveling fully the natural laws which govern reality, we find them to be expressible by mathematical relations of surprising simplicity and architectonic perfection. It seems to me to be one of the chief objects of mathematical instruction to develop the faculty of perceiving this simplicity and harmony.”