Feller was an ebullient man, who would rather be wrong than undecided.

The heart of mathematics consists of concrete examples and concrete problems. Big general theories are usually afterthoughts based on small but profound insights; the insights themselves come from concrete special cases.

Many teachers are concerned about the amount of material they must cover in a course. One cynic suggested a formula: since, he said, students on the average remember only about 40% of what you tell them, the thing to do is to cram into each course 250% of what you hope will stick.

I read once that the true mark of a pro - at anything - is that he understands, loves, and is good at even the drudgery of his profession.

The beginner should not be discouraged if he finds he does not have the prerequisites for reading the prerequisites.

To be a scholar of mathematics you must be born with talent, insight, concentration, taste, luck, drive and the ability to visualize and guess.

Mathematics - this may surprise or shock some - is never deductive in creation.