By explanation the scientist understands nothing except the reduction to the least and simplest basic laws possible, beyond which he cannot go, but must plainly demand them; from them however he deduces the phenomena absolutely completely as necessary.
Carl Friedrich GaussMy young friend, I wish that science would intoxicate you as much as our good Gรถttingen beer! Upon seeing a student staggering down a street.
Carl Friedrich GaussSin2 ฯ is odious to me, even though Laplace made use of it; should it be feared that sin2 ฯ might become ambiguous, which would perhaps never occur, or at most very rarely when speaking of sin(ฯ2), well then, let us write (sin ฯ)2, but not sin2 ฯ, which by analogy should signify sin (sin ฯ)
Carl Friedrich GaussThat this subject [of imaginary magnitudes] has hitherto been considered from the wrong point of view and surrounded by a mysterious obscurity, is to be attributed largely to an ill-adapted notation. If, for example, +1, -1, and the square root of -1 had been called direct, inverse and lateral units, instead of positive, negative and imaginary (or even impossible), such an obscurity would have been out of the question.
Carl Friedrich Gauss[On Sophie Germain] When a person of the sex which, according to our customs and prejudices, must encounter infinitely more difficulties than men... succeeds nevertheless in surmounting these obstacles and penetrating the most obscure parts of [number theory], then without doubt she must have the noblest courage, quite extraordinary talents and superior genius.
Carl Friedrich Gauss