Augustin-Louis Cauchy

Mathematics French 1789 – 1857 546 quotes

Rigorized calculus and founded complex analysis

Most quoted

"I am a Christian, that is to say, I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, like Bossuet and Pascal, like Corneille and Racine, and like so many other great men who have been illustrious in the sciences and in letters. The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the works of the Creator. The more I study mathematics, the more I admire the wisdom of God."

"The mean value theorem for derivatives states that if a function is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the open interval, then there exists at least one point in the open interval where the derivative of the function is equal to the average rate of change of the function over the interval."

— from Cours d'Analyse de l'École Royale Polytechnique, 1821

"A function is continuous if, for every value of the variable between given limits, the numerical value of the difference between two successive values of the function becomes indefinitely small with the numerical value of the difference between the corresponding values of the variable."

— from Cours d'Analyse, 1821

All quotes by Augustin-Louis Cauchy (546)

The art of doing mathematics is to find the particular case that contains the general.

Attributed

It is easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find a good mathematician.

Attributed

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Attributed

Mathematics is the music of reason.

Attributed

The greatest discoveries are made by those who are not afraid to fail.

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I am not a genius; I am just a hard worker.

Attributed

The beauty of mathematics is that it is a universal language.

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To understand is to perceive patterns.

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The more I learn, the more I am convinced of the existence of God.

Attributed (reflects his strong religious beliefs)

The most elegant solution is often the simplest.

Attributed

I prefer to be a mathematician than a king.

Attributed

The true value of a theory is not how well it explains the known, but how well it predicts the unknown.

Attributed

I am a Christian, that is to say, I believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, like Bossuet and Pascal, like Corneille and Racine, and like so many other great men who have been illustrious in the sciences and in letters. The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the works of the Creator. The more I study mathematics, the more I admire the wisdom of God.

It is not enough to know how to solve a problem, one must also know how to present the solution clearly and elegantly.

The true method of discovery is to begin with the facts and not with the theories.

The human mind, in its desire to understand, seeks to reduce everything to simple principles.

We must not fear difficulties. It is through them that we grow.

The progress of science is due to the efforts of many individuals, each contributing their part to the common edifice.

The infinite is everywhere, and it is in the infinite that we find God.

To understand is to perceive the connections between things.