Steven Strogatz Quotes

• One of the pleasures of looking at the world through mathematical eyes is that you can see certain patterns that would otherwise be hidden.

  Steven Strogatz

  Eye, World, Patterns

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• Logic leaves us no choice. In that sense, math always involves both invention and discovery: we invent the concepts but discover their consequences. … in mathematics our freedom lies in the questions we ask – and in how we pursue them – but not in the answers awaiting us.

  Steven Strogatz

  Lying, Math, Discovery

  Steven Strogatz (2012). “The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity”, p.9, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• In mathematics, our freedom lies in the questions we ask — and in how we pursue them — but not in the answers awaiting us.

  Steven Strogatz

  Lying, Answers, Mathematics

  Steven Strogatz (2012). “The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity”, p.9, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• Change is most sluggish at the extremes precisely because the derivative is zero there.

  Steven Strogatz

  Zero, Derivatives, Extremes

  Steven Strogatz (2012). “The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics, from One to Infinity”, p.116, Atlantic Books Ltd

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• When you create something new, you're breaking tradition - which is an act of defiance.

  Steven Strogatz

  Tradition, Something New, Defiance

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• The frequencies of the notes in a scale—do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do—sound to us like they’re rising in equal steps. But objectively their vibrational frequencies are rising by equal multiples. We perceive pitch logarithmically.

  Steven Strogatz

  Sound, Rising, Steps

  Steven Strogatz (2012). “The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity”, p.65, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• When you love a problem, its contours, obstacles and resistances are all just part of its character.

  Steven Strogatz

  Character, Resistance, Obstacles

  "7 Creativity Tips From a Top Mathematician". Interview with Hilary Harkness, www.huffingtonpost.com. November 12, 2012.

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• Looking at numbers as groups of rocks may seem unusual, but actually it's as old as math itself. The word "calculate" reflects that legacy - it comes from the Latin word calculus, meaning a pebble used for counting. To enjoy working with numbers you don't have to be Einstein (German for "one stone"), but it might help to have rocks in your head.

  Steven Strogatz

  Latin, Math, Rocks

  Steven Strogatz (2012). “The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity”, p.15, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• I loved this smart, funny, big-hearted novel. As hilarious and wise as early Philip Roth, The Mathematician's Shiva will delight and move you.

  Steven Strogatz

  Wise, Smart, Moving

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