Sophie Germain

The taste for the abstract sciences in general and, above all, for the mysteries of numbers, is very rare. This is not surprising, since the charms of this sublime science in all their beauty reveal themselves only to those who have the courage to fathom them.

But when a person of the sex which, according to our customs and prejudices, must encounter infinitely more difficulties than men to familiarize herself with these thorny researches, succeeds nevertheless in surmounting these obstacles and penetrating the most obscure parts of them, then without doubt she must have the noblest courage, quite extraordinary talents and superior genius.

I have never ceased thinking about the theory of surfaces...

The order inherent in numbers is a source of delight.

Mathematical studies are like those of nature; the more they are advanced, the more they develop their principles in breadth and depth.

Genius is a work of patience, and the most abstract sciences are those which demand the most.

It seems to me that the moral laws are not so different from the physical laws; they are derived from the nature of things.

The desire to know is natural to good people.

I am as passionate about geometry as you are, Monsieur, and I regret very much not having been born with the advantages you possess for cultivating this sublime science.

The works of men of genius, however imperfect they may be, are the true riches of posterity.

The obstacles I have encountered because of my sex have only strengthened my resolve.

One must have the courage to follow a new path when reason commands it.

The theory of numbers is a sanctuary where the human mind can find refuge from the uncertainty of the empirical world.

I hope that the fame of my works will one day make my sex proud.

The physical world is governed by laws expressible in the language of mathematics.

A mind that has once tasted the rigorous pleasure of mathematical truth is forever spoiled for the approximations of common life.

The abstract truths of number theory are as real and immutable as the mountains.

Do not fear to be wrong; fear only to remain in error.

The surface of a vibrating plate holds secrets to the harmony of the universe.

Curiosity is the first step on the road to discovery.