André Weil, The Apprenticeship of a Mathematician (1992), p. 49
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"Lefschetz made a brief trip to Rome, and I asked Severi what he thought of Lefschetz's work. 'È bravo,' Severi told me, meaning more or less 'he is talented.' The word 'bravo,' as far as I can tell, has no equivalent in other languages. 'He is no Poincaré,' Severi added. Poincaré was an eagle, 'un'aquila'—and at this, he raised his hand high. Lefschetz was a sparrow, 'un passero,' and he lowered his hand halfway. But Lefschetz was talented, '''è bravo però, è bravo.'''"
— André Weil on Solomon Lefschetz
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets ""Lefschetz made a brief trip to Rome, and I asked Severi what he thought of Lefschetz's work. 'È bravo,' Severi told me, meaning more or less 'he is talented.' The word 'bravo,' as far as I can tell, has no equivalent in other languages. 'He is no Poincaré,' Severi added. Poincaré was an eagle, 'un'aquila'—and at this, he raised his hand high. Lefschetz was a sparrow, 'un passero,' and he lowered his hand halfway. But Lefschetz was talented, '''è bravo però, è bravo.'''"" in the context of "André Weil, The Apprenticeship of a Mathematician (1992), p. 49" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Solomon Lefschetz" (Quotes about Lefschetz)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About André Weil
André Weil (6 May 1906 – 6 August 1998) was one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, whether measured by his research work, its influence on future work, exposition or breadth. He is known for his foundational work in number theory and algebraic geometry. He was a founding member, and de facto the early leader, of the influential Bourbaki group. The philosopher Simone Weil was his sister.
About André Weil
André Weil (6 May 1906 – 6 August 1998) was one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, whether measured by his research work, its influence on future work, exposition or breadth. He is known for his foundational work in number theory and algebraic geometry. He was a founding member, and de facto the early leader, of the influential Bourbaki group. The philosopher Simone Weil was his sister.
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