"The Italian geometers have erected, on somewhat shaky foundations, a stupendous edifice: the theory of algebraic surfaces. It is the main object of modern algebraic geometry to strengthen, preserve, and further embellish this edifice, while at the same time building up also the theory of algebraic varieties of higher dimension. The bitter complaint that Poincaré has directed, in his time, against the modern theory of functions of a real variable cannot be deservedly directed against modern algebraic geometry. We are not intent on proving that our fathers were wrong. On the contrary, our whole purpose is to prove that our fathers were right. ... In helping geometry, modern algebra is helping itself above all. We maintain that abstract algebraic geometry is one of the best things that happened to commutative algebra in a long time."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Atheists from the United StatesAcademics from the United StatesJews from the United StatesMathematicians from the United StatesJews from Russia
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
"The fundamental ideas of abstract algebraic geometry." In Proc. Intern. Math. Congress, Cambridge, Mass. , vol. 2, pp. 77–89. 1950. (quote from pp. 88–89)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Oscar_Zariski
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Oscar Zariski
Oscar Zariski (April 24, 1899 – July 4, 1986) was a Byelorussian-born American mathematician, famous for his foundational work in algebraic geometry and making Harvard University's mathematics department a leading center of research in algebraic geometry. At the International Congress of Mathematicians he was an invited speaker in 1928 in Bologna and a plenary speaker in 1950 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
3 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Oscar Zariski →
Related Quotes
"The well known classical treatise by Krazer on the theory of θ functions contains several beautiful chapters dealing …"
"The idea of topologizing an algebraic variety V by choosing as closed sets the algebraic subvarieties of V can be use…"
"For him delicious flavors dwell In books as in old Muscatel."
"And in the evening, everywhere Along the roadside, up and down, I see the golden torches flare Like lighted street-la…"
"Song like a rose should be; Each rhyme a petal sweet; For fragrance, melody, That when her lips repeat The words, her…"
"The hunter catches a dreadful prey, the seaman steers his ship into an unspeakable harbor, the plowman sows and reaps…"
"You are the king no doubt, but in one respect, at least, I am your equal: the right to reply. I claim that privilege …"
"When Hector heard that challenge he rejoiced and right in the no man's land along his lines he strode, gripping his s…"
"In the ancient land of vintage and dance and sun-burnt mirth, there resounded during the Middle Ages a sweet chorus o…"
"The poetry of the troubadours was essentially social in character. Unlike Goethe's minstrel, who sang as the bird amo…"