I think I have already said somewhere that mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
• Part I. Ch. 2 : The Future of Mathematics, p. 31
• Part I. Ch. 2 : The Future of Mathematics, p. 31
“
Je ne sais si je n’ai déjà dit quelque part que la Mathématique est l’art de donner le même nom à des choses différentes.
— Henri Poincaré
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Je ne sais si je n’ai déjà dit quelque part que la Mathématique est l’art de donner le même nom à des choses différentes." in the context of "I think I have already said somewhere that mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.
• Part I. Ch. 2 : The Future of Mathematics, p. 31" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Henri Poincaré" (Quotes, Science and Method (1908): Science et méthode (1908), as translated by Francis Maitland (1914)
The page numbers below refer to the Francis Maitland translation text, not the original French text.)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912), generally known as Henri Poincaré, was one of France's greatest mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and a philosopher of science.
About Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912), generally known as Henri Poincaré, was one of France's greatest mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and a philosopher of science.
View all quotes →