Georg Cantor Quotes

Germany, Mathematician
March 3, 1845 – January, 6, 1918.

Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor (March 3 [O.S. February 19] 1845 – January 6, 1918) was a German mathematician. He created set theory, which has become a fundamental theory in mathematics. Cantor established the importance of one-to-one correspondence between the members of two sets. In fact, Cantor's method of proof of this theorem implies the existence of an "infinity of infinities". He defined the cardinal and ordinal numbers and their arithmetic. Cantor's work is of great philosophical interest, a fact of which he was well aware.

The fear of infinity is a form of myopia that destroys the possibility of seeing the actual infinite, even though it in its highest form has created and sustains us, and in its secondary transfinite forms occurs all around us and even inhabits our minds.

Georg Cantor
- Fear
I entertain no doubts as to the truths of the transfinites, which I recognized with God’s help and which, in their diversity, I have studied for more than twenty years; every year, and almost every day brings me further in this science.

Georg Cantor
- God
- Help
- Science

There is no doubt that we cannot do without variable quantities in the sense of the potential infinite. But from this very fact the necessity of the actual infinite can be demonstrated.

Georg Cantor
- Doubt
The actual infinite arises in three contexts: first when it is realized in the most complete form, in a fully independent otherworldly being, in Deo, where I call it the Absolute Infinite or simply Absolute; second when it occurs in the contingent, created world; third when the mind grasps it in abstracto as a mathematical magnitude, number or order type.

Georg Cantor
- World
- Mind
- Independent
The potential infinite means nothing other than an undetermined, variable quantity, always remaining finite, which has to assume values that either become smaller than any finite limit no matter how small, or greater than any finite limit no matter how great.

Georg Cantor
- Great
- Small
Mathematics, in the development of its ideas, has only to take account of the immanent reality of its concepts and has absolutely no obligation to examine their transient reality.

Georg Cantor
- Reality
In mathematics the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.

Georg Cantor
- Art
- Question
- Value
Every transfinite consistent multiplicity, that is, every transfinite set, must have a definite aleph as its cardinal number.

Georg Cantor

This view of the infinite, which I consider to be the sole correct one, is held by only a few. While possibly I am the very first in history to take this position so explicitly, with all of its logical consequences, I know for sure that I shall not be the last!

Georg Cantor
- History
Er ist aber in Kopenhagen geboren, von israelitischen Eltern, die der dortigen portugisischen Judengemeinde.

Georg Cantor
- Die
Had Mittag-Leffler had his way, I should have to wait until the year 1984, which to me seemed too great a demand!

Georg Cantor
- Great
If there is some determinate succession of defined whole real numbers, among which there exists no greatest, on the basis of this second principle of generation a new number is obtained which is regarded as the limit of those numbers, i.e. is defined as the next greater number than all of them.

Georg Cantor
- Real
The essence of mathematics lies in its freedom.

Georg Cantor
- Freedom
- Lies
Infinity, in its first form (the improper-infinite) presents itself as a variable finite veranderliches Endliches; in the other form (which I call the proper infinite Eigentlich-unendliche) it appears as a thoroughly determinate bestimmtes infinite.

Georg Cantor

I realise that in this undertaking I place myself in a certain opposition to views widely held concerning the mathematical infinite and to opinions frequently defended on the nature of numbers.

Georg Cantor
- Nature
A set is a Many that allows itself to be thought of as a One.

Georg Cantor