“If we deal with our problem not knowing, or pretending not to know the general theory encompassing the concrete case before us, if we tackle the problem "with bare hands", we have a better chance to understand the scientist's attitude in general, and especially the task of the applied mathematician.”

— George Pólya

Mathematical Methods in Science (1977)

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George Pólya 35

Hungarian mathematician 1887–1985

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“We wish to see… the typical attitude of the scientist who uses mathematics to understand the world around us. …In the solution of a problem …there are typically three phases.”

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Context: We wish to see... the typical attitude of the scientist who uses mathematics to understand the world around us.... In the solution of a problem... there are typically three phases. The first phase is entirely or almost entirely a matter of physics; the third, a matter of mathematics; and the intermediate phase, a transition from physics to mathematics. The first phase is the formulation of the physical hypothesis or conjecture; the second, its translation into equations; the third, the solution of the equations. Each phase calls for a different kind of work and demands a different attitude.<!--p.164

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George Pólya 35

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