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Full Idea
All the results of significant mathematical research must ultimately be expressible in the simple forms of properties of whole numbers.
Gist of Idea
All of mathematics is properties of the whole numbers
Source
Leopold Kronecker (works [1885], Vol 3/274), quoted by Philip Kitcher - The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge 09.5
Book Ref
Kitcher,Philip: 'The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge' [OUP 1984], p.223
A Reaction
I've always liked Kronecker's line, but I'm beginning to realise that his use of the word 'number' is simply out-of-date. Natural numbers have a special status, but not sufficient to support this claim.
| 10091 | God made the integers, all the rest is the work of man [Kronecker] |
| 12427 | All of mathematics is properties of the whole numbers [Kronecker] |