The Greatest Mathematician

The Greatest Mathematician

1987 10 October 21 The Greatest Mathematician (340) Every kind of genius, in fact, is confronted with the awesome feeling that there is a Being greater than himself at work in the universe. It is a measure of his own greatness that he can bow to Another who is infinitely greater.

“God is really another artist,” said Picasso, “He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat.” Einstein once observed that God was subtle, not malicious, and very clever. Sir Michael Francis Atiyah, the distinguished mathematician, said on a recent visit to Bombay that God was a mathematician – not exactly a new idea, since Sir James had seriously put forward the idea – half a century ago that the universe was the work of a mathematician, while centuries before that Pythagoras had come to the conclusion that all things were numbers. The greatest of human mathematicians have come across such complexities in their subjects that they have finally understood the meagreness of their own grasp of the subject. Every kind of genius, in fact, is confronted with the awesome feeling that there is a Being greater than himself at work in the universe. It is a measure of his own greatness that he can bow to Another who is infinitely greater.

Those who do not recognise the signs of God throughout the universe are spiritually blind, and those who see them, but still do not believe in God, will suffer from a warping of the soul which will leave them morally stunted for all of their lives. God conveys His message in innumerable ways, but it is only those who are genuinely receptive to it who will receive His eternal blessings.

Small vessels fetch little water. Likewise, the small in heart fall short of success.

Think before wreaking vengeance. That vengeance will be returned with a vengeance.

If someone pelts you with stones, do not quarrel with him. Try rather to raise yourself to such a height that the stones cannot reach you.

He who craves a high position without effort wastes his life in attempting the impossible (Ali)