Quote#Work
[T]he symbols of algebra, when employed in abstruse and complex…
Quote byWilliam John Macquorn Rankine · 1820–1872
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: "On the Harmony of Theory and Practice in Mechanics" (Jan. 3, 1856).
English (original)
[T]he symbols of algebra, when employed in abstruse and complex theoretical investigations, constitute a sort of thought-saving machine, by whose aid a person skilled in its use can solve problems respecting quantities, and dispense with the mental labour of thinking of the quantities denoted by the symbols, except at the beginning and the end of the operation.
— William John Macquorn Rankine
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