Discovery is the privilege of the child: the child who has no fear of being once again wrong, of looking like an idiot, of not being serious, of not doing things like everyone else.
Alexander GrothendieckRead
The introduction of the cipher 0 or the group concept was general nonsense too, and mathematics was more or less stagnating for thousands of years because nobody was around to take such childish steps.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The progress of mathematics was hindered by a lack of innovative ideas and concepts, likening early mathematical developments to childish endeavors.
Alexander Grothendieck reflects on the historical stagnation in mathematics, attributing it to the absence of creativity in introducing essential concepts like the cipher 0 and group theory. He suggests that foundational ideas, which may seem trivial or childish, are crucial for the advancement of the field, emphasizing that significant progress often requires bold and innovative thinking.
Themes
MathematicsInnovationProgressCreativityHistory
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture about the history of mathematics, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of foundational concepts.
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