Aesthetic judgments, rather than abstract reasoning, guide and shape the process by which we all come to know what we know.

My algebra was relatively poor. I found it very difficult to use equations that substituted numbers - to which I had a synesthetic and emotional response - for letters, to which I had none. It was because of this that I decided not to continue math at Advanced level, but chose to study history, French and German instead.

Like works of literature, mathematical ideas help expand our circle of empathy, liberating us from the tyranny of a single, parochial point of view. Numbers, properly considered, make us better people.

I consider social skills a bit like learning a language. I've been practising it for so long over so many years I've almost lost my accent.

I love music. I have a fondness for Chopin, and I very much like his 'Raindrop Prelude.'

Every culture has contributed to maths just as it has contributed to literature. It's a universal language; numbers belong to everyone.

When I was a child, my behavior was far from being what most people would label 'intelligent.' It was often limited, repetitive and anti-social. I could not do many of the things that most people take for granted, such as looking someone in the eye or deciphering a person's body language, and only acquired these skills with much effort over time.