Adrien-Marie Legendre was known for his meticulous attention to detail and precision in his mathematical work. Legend has it that once, while proofreading his book “Éléments de Géométrie” (Elements of Geometry), he discovered a small error in one of the theorems. Rather than correcting it, he added a note to the margin that read, “Il est très facile de se convaincre que ce théorème est vrai” (It is very easy to convince oneself that this theorem is true). This witty remark has since become famous in the mathematical world and is often cited as an example of Legendre’s exacting standards. It’s a humorous reminder that even great mathematicians can make mistakes but may find clever ways to cover them up!
