To define it rudely but not inaptly engineering is the art of doing that well with one dollar which any bungler can do with two after a fashion.
Great triumphs of engineering genius-the locomotive the truss bridge the steel rail- ... are rather invention than engineering proper.
An engineer can do for a dollar what any fool can do for two
When the difficulty of a problem lies only in finding out what follows from certain fixed premises mathematical methods furnish invaluable wings for flying over intermediate obstructions.