getting used to it

my favorite sayings re: math

'I'm a professional mathematician, and I myself very often use mathematical methods that I understand only imprecisely,'' he said. ''It is while I use them that I begin to understand. After a while, the use and the understanding are mutually supporting.''

source:

The New, Flexible Math Meets Parental Rebellion (scroll down)

By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS (NYT)
2403 words

Published: April 27, 2000


In mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
John von Neumann
(from Vlorbik)

John Saxon & Carolyn say the same thing....

I looked these lines up again today, because I'm pretty sure they illustrate the fundamental insight of precision teaching.