Carl Friedrich Gauss

The taste of the beautiful in higher mathematics is a luxury.

I am so constituted that every new fact discovered by others gives me the keenest joy.

The problem of obtaining formulas for the number of primes less than a given number is one of the most difficult problems in mathematics.

Thou, O God, hast created the world according to an admirable plan. It is certain that the plan is the best possible.

In mathematics, as in everything else, the greatest discoveries are made by those who have the patience to work through the details.

The study of mathematics is the indispensable basis for all exact and precise thinking.

I have the result, but I do not yet know how to get it.

The mirror of the soul is the face; its true expression is difficult to see.

To praise the beautiful in higher mathematics is a luxury that only the initiated can afford.

Every positive integer is the sum of four squares.

The law of nature is such that the Gaussian distribution is the most probable.

I protest against the use of infinite magnitude as an amendment to the theory of motion.

The higher arithmetic is the most beautiful part of mathematics.

In my opinion, the greatest mathematicians are those who discover new methods.

The non-Euclidean geometry is a beautiful theory, but I fear it will never be of practical use.

Life is a pit, but art is a ladder.

I succeeded in calculating the elements of Ceres with great accuracy.

The theory of elliptic functions is the most difficult and profound branch of analysis.

One cannot know everything, but one can try to understand the universe.

The method of least squares is the most elegant way to handle errors in observations.