Quote by James Joseph Sylvester
May not music be described as the mathematics of the sense, mathematics as music of the reason? The musician feels mathematics, the mathematician thinks music: music the dream, mathematics the working life.
Summary
This quote suggests that there is a strong connection between music and mathematics. It implies that music is like the embodiment of the emotions and sensory experiences, while mathematics represents the logical and analytical aspects of the mind. The quote further suggests that musicians have an intuitive understanding of mathematics through their ability to feel and express it, while mathematicians perceive music through their intellectual and analytical thinking. It characterizes music as a form of imaginative escape, or dream, and mathematics as a practical and concrete discipline. Overall, the quote highlights the similarities and complementary nature of music and mathematics.