George Gamow Quotes

At the age of 12, I developed an intense interest in mathematics. On exposure to algebra, I was fascinated by simultaneous equations and read ahead of the class to the end of the book.

Yes, I was really good in physics and in math.

When I went into the seminary, I was one of those victims of New Math and had not had Algebra I and had no idea what we were doing in New Math in the ninth grade. But when I went into the seminary, they had gone the traditional route and taught first-year algebra.

One thing is for sure: most of the people admitting candidates to universities for technical subjects are pretty dissatisfied with the level of math education.

Fewer than 13 percent of high school students will continue to study math and science in college—usually the most well-prepared and persistent students who often come from families where encouragement and enrichment is fundamental

When I was growing up, I had lots of smart classmates that were girls, but none of us were really pushed into math or computers or anything like that. Girls took AP history and AP English and AP European history. And boys took calculus and physics.

It is well known that the central problem of the whole of modern mathematics is the study of transcendental functions defined by differential equations.

At any rate, girls are differently situated. Having no need of deep scientific knowledge, their education is confined more to the ordinary things of the world, the study of the fine arts, and of the manners and dispositions of people.

Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts.

We have a culture where it’s OK to not know anything about mathematics whereas in Asia, they don’t

Fifty percent of our high schools do not even offer calculus—no one in those schools can take calculus.

I want to graduate high school, so it's very important to me, and I'll be focusing hard on that as well.

I always like to do quite a lot of homework; I quite like to do the research. If I didn't do this, I think I would like to be a researcher.

I grew up in a really horrible school system, but my parents did not let that define how we function. They gave me more work at home from them than I ever got from school. To learn about the history of myself and my people, and that armors me.

Had I to do it again, I would have been a math major, probably a double major, and did take a lot of math classes, but I would have taken a lot more.

I was raised by a single mother, and she felt the Japanese education system, albeit wonderful, keeps you in a certain range. You have to be better than this level but below this level.

I love algebra. Love it.

I was quite nerdy at school. I skipped a year and won a scholarship in chemistry.

We all know that there are these exemplars who can take the toughest students, and they'll teach them two-and-a-half years of math in a single year.

I'm the type of person, I have to study to get an A on the test.

I was so clear on the fact that I wanted to be a journalist that I asked my parents if I could go to a tutorial college to do my O-levels early, which I did when I was 13.

You don't immediately adopt the values and the framework of this, the academically successful world, just because okay now you kids get to go to high school.

My father taught me to study, study, study hard and he sent me to a very good Jewish school even though it was not near the house.

The Japanese are the ultimate students: they analyse things in so much detail... until they have pretty much mastered whatever they are studying.

When I was at Paisley Grammar we were equipped to compete with the private-school kids - and encouraged to do so. The sky was the limit, provided we had ability, ambition and a capacity for hard work.