"It remains to discuss briefly what general requirements may be justly laid down for the solution of a mathematical problem. I should say first of all, this: that it shall be possible to establish the correctness of the solution by means of a finite number of steps based upon a finite number of hypotheses which are implied in the statement of the problem and which must always be exactly formulated. This requirement of logical deduction by means of a finite number of processes is simply the requirement of rigor in reasoning."
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Academics from GermanyAgnosticsMathematicians from GermanyPhysicists from GermanyLogicians from Germany
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David Hilbert
1862 – 1943
deutscher Mathematiker
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