I always saw a close kinship between the needs of "pure" mathematics and a certain hero of Greek mythology, Antaeus. The son of Earth, he had to touch the ground every so often in order to reestablish contact with his Mother; otherwise his strength waned. To strangle him, Hercules simply held him off the ground. Back to mathematics. Separation from any down-to-earth input could safely be complete for long periods — but not forever. In particular, the mathematical study of Brownian motion deserved a fresh contact with reality.


A Theory of Roughness (2004)

Benoît Mandelbrot Quotes

I always saw a close kinship between the needs of pure mathematics and a certain hero of Greek mythology, Antaeus. The son of Earth, he had to touch...

I always saw a close kinship between the needs of pure mathematics and a certain hero of Greek mythology, Antaeus. The son of Earth, he had to touch...

I always saw a close kinship between the needs of pure mathematics and a certain hero of Greek mythology, Antaeus. The son of Earth, he had to touch...

I always saw a close kinship between the needs of pure mathematics and a certain hero of Greek mythology, Antaeus. The son of Earth, he had to touch...