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Tag Tag Effective reasoning
The traditional mathematician recognizes and appreciates mathematical elegance when he sees it. I propose to go one step further, and to consider elegance an essential ingredient of mathematics: if it is clumsy, it is not mathematics.
Edsger Dijkstra On the Economy of doing Mathematics · 1992

Quotes

“The practical significance of elegance has been contested, but that is only a social phenomenon caused by the fact that elegance requires great care to be achieved and education to be appreciated. In contrast we shall stress that in sophisticated designs, elegance is not a dispensable luxury, but a factor that often decides between success and failure.”

Edsger Dijkstra · Elegance and Effective Reasoning, 1996 · Primary source

Works

Edsger Dijkstra · 1992
On the Economy of doing Mathematics

An argument for more economical mathematical reasoning through effective notation, formal calculation, abstraction and the systematic removal of unnecessary complexity.

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Edsger Dijkstra · 1996
Elegance and Effective Reasoning

A course outline presenting elegance as practical simplicity and examining how it supports effective reasoning, design and problem selection.

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Related Tags

Mathematical elegance 2 Simplicity 34 Formal methods 7 Elegance 4 Complex systems 1 Design quality 1 Mathematical notation 1 Calculational reasoning 1 Domain removal 1 Problem-solving 12 Design 4