"Change of state involves what is meant by the word "time," which, like space, is a necessary condition for thought, or the formation of concepts. These occur in succession, as do all phenomena involving a change, and whenever motion or change is involved, time is required, and the universal knowledge of this fact is an elementary abstraction. Unity apart from any concrete thing... is the primary abstraction in arithmetic, and number and the theory of numbers grow from this concept to one of great importance. Since time and space are necessary to the realization of sensible objects and the phenomena of motion, the attributes of time and space adhere of necessity to the theory of these subjects, and hence the principles demonstrated in the abstract concerning time and space relations, are applicable to such phenomena. Herein lies the secret of the universal application of pure mathematical deductions to the many sciences that sum up human knowledge of the universe."
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J. Brace Chittenden, "Mathematics", The Encyclopedia Americana: A General Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences (1903)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abstraction_(mathematics)
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Abstraction (mathematics)
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