I believe that mathematics can best be defined as the symbolic manipulation of ideas. This definition could be interpreted to include such disciplines as literature, art, and philosophy. At its core, mathematics has more in common with literature, art, and philosophy than it does with the sciences, with which it is more often linked. This can best be explained by the fact that the qualities that make one poem better than another are the same as the qualities that make one proof better than another. The ultimate goal of all poems and proofs is to say more with less.