60 Inspirational Math Quotes Every Student Needs to Read

Throughout my career as a math teacher and mindset coach, I’ve witnessed my fair share of students who struggle and dislike the subject.

One of my favorite ways to empower my students to succeed is by sharing inspirational math quotes. I have found that the right positive words help students shift their perspective and develop a growth mindset. 

My favorite math quotes are the ones that celebrate the beauty of mathematics, the importance of a growth mindset in mathematics, and the relevance of math in our daily lives.

Whether you’re a student struggling through algebra or a teacher looking to inspire your own class, my hope is that this collection of math inspirational quotes provides wisdom, motivation, and humor to make your math journey as enjoyable as possible!

Inspirational Math Quotes

If you ask any student (and even some teachers!), they will tell you that the most important way to get better at math is practice. While practice is certainly important, I am a firm believer in the power of a positive math mindset.

These inspirational math quotes will help you learn to believe in your potential to do anything you put your mind to. Even in your math class!

1. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
2. “Mathematics has beauty and romance. It’s not a boring place to be, the mathematical world. It’s an extraordinary place; it’s worth spending time there.” – Marcus du Sautoy
3. “Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.” – William Paul Thurston
4. “Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.” – Stefan Banach
5. “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.” – Stan Gudder
6. “Mathematics is the only place where truth and beauty mean the same thing.” – Danica McKellar
7. “The laws of mathematics are not merely human inventions or creations. They simply ‘are.’ They exist quite independently of the human intellect.” – Unknown
8. “Mathematics rightly viewed possesses not only truth but supreme beauty.” – Bertrand Russell
9. “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” – Albert Einstein

Quotes About Math to Empower Students

These inspiring quotes about math encourage a growth mindset by reminding students that with persistence, curiosity, and effort, it is possible to build confidence and improve math abilities.

10. “In mathematics, the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.” – Georg Cantor
11. “The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.” – Paul Halmos
12. “What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.” – Alfred Mercier
13. “Young minds should be trained to view math not as a difficult subject but as a tool to understand the world.” – Unknown
14. “Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.” – Shakuntala Devi
15. “Many people who have not studied mathematics confuse it with arithmetic and consider it a dry and fruitless science. In reality, however, it is a science which requires a great amount of imagination.” – Sofia Kovalevskaya
16. “Mathematics knows no geographic boundaries; for mathematics, the cultural world is one country.” – David Hilbert
17. “You never fail until you stop trying.” – Albert Einstein

Funny Math Quotes

I love to use funny quotes about math to lighten the mood of my classroom. Getting my students to laugh helps make math feel more approachable, and reminds them that even the most complex problems can be tackled with a good sense of humor.

Plus, it keeps them engaged! A little laughter goes a long way in making learning memorable!

18. “Mathematics is like love; a simple idea, but it can get complicated.” – Anonymous
19. “Mathematics consists of proving the most obvious thing in the least obvious way.” – George Pólya
20. “Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions.” – Evan Esar
21. “Black holes are where God divided by zero.” – Steven Wright
22. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” – Mark Twain (attributed)
23. “If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is.” – John von Neumann
24. “Obvious’ is the most dangerous word in mathematics.” – E.T. Bell
25. “If there is a 50-50 chance that something can go wrong, then nine times out of ten it will.” – Paul Harvey
26. “A mathematician is like a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn’t there.” – Unknown
27. “The difference between a good teacher and a great teacher is that a great teacher makes boring mathematics exciting.” – Unknown
28. “Math teachers have too many functions.” – Anonymous
29. “A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems.” – Alfréd Rényi

Motivational Quotes For Success in Mathematics

Success in mathematics isn’t just about talent. Being successful requires effort, perseverance, and a willingness to keep going even when things get tough (and math is a difficult subject!).

These motivational quotes are particularly helpful when encouraging students to stay dedicated and patient to find the reward in studying hard for a big test.

30. “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” – Vince Lombardi
31. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.” – Pelé
32. “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson
33. “Mathematics gives us hope that every problem has a solution.” – Anonymous
34. “The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.” – Sebastian Thrun
35. “Like what you do, and then you will do your best.” – Katherine Johnson
36. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy
37. “Science is the poetry of reality.” – Richard Dawkins

Famous Math Quotes

There are many famous math quotes from history’s greatest mathematicians that can help inspire curiosity and dedication in the study of mathematics. Use these inspirational math quotes to help you overcome your next big math challenge.

38. “The book of nature is written in the language of mathematics.” – Galileo Galilei
39. “A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn’t there.” – Charles Darwin
40. “It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul.” – Sofia Kovalevskaya
41. “The mathematical sciences particularly exhibit order, symmetry, and limitation; and these are the greatest forms of the beautiful.” – Aristotle
42. “Obvious is the most dangerous word in mathematics.” – Eric Temple Bell
43. “Mathematics is not a spectator sport.” – John Wesley Young
44. “Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper until you get the right answer.” – Carl Sandburg
45. “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” – William James
46. “There is no result in nature without a cause; understand the cause and you will have no need of the experiment.” – Leonardo da Vinci
47. “Mathematics is a way to find truth in the world, free from emotional influence.” – Philip J. Davis
48. “Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” – Albert Einstein

Mathematician Quotes to Motivate You

49. “Mathematics is the door and key to the sciences.” – Roger Bacon
50. “Mathematical knowledge adds vigor to the mind.” – John Locke
51. “Mathematics expresses values that reflect the cosmos, including orderliness, balance, harmony, logic, and abstract beauty.” – Deepak Chopra
52. “Mathematics is the cheapest science. All one needs for mathematics is a pencil and a paper.” – W.S. Anglin
53. “There are no shortcuts in mathematics.” – Unknown
54. “The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.” – Richard Hamming
55. “The study of mathematics, like the Nile, begins in minuteness but ends in magnificence.” – Charles Caleb Colton
56. “The union of the mathematician with the real world is a perfect combination.” – Unknown
57. “Math is the language of the universe. So the more equations you know, the more you can converse with the cosmos.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
58. “Mathematics is the music of reason.” – James Joseph Sylvester
59. “Every new body of discovery is mathematical in form, because there is no other guidance we can have.” – Charles Darwin
60. “Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” – Galileo Galilei

My Favorite Inspirational Math Quote

A friend of mine bought me this Albert Einstein poster to hang in my dorm in my first year of university.

This Albert Einstein quote has always been my favorite because it has a special meaning that I have found empowering throughout my studies of mathematics in my life.

To me, this quote tells us that even the most brilliant scientific mind this world has ever seen found struggle and challenge in math. If Einstein himself could still find math to be a challenge and persevere, surely I can find the strength to do so as well.

This poster followed me from my dorm where I studied late into the evening, to my first office as a teacher where I showed other students how to develop a positive mindset toward mathematics.

It now has a new resting place in my home studio where it continues to inspire me every day.

How to Use These Inspirational Math Quotes

My hope is that you are able to choose a few of these math inspirational quotes and use them to build a positive math mindset. When you have a good relationship with math, it becomes easier (and more fun) to explore the subject!

Post your favorite inspirational math quotes on your bulletin board, share them with your friends, or write them on your notebook to help you when facing difficult math problems!

I hope that these math inspirational quotes encourage you to approach math with curiosity, determination, and a positive attitude!

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