Greatest mathematicians biography

From Ancient Ellas to Modern Day, Who are glory Top 17 Most Famous Mathematicians?

While influence study of mathematics is typically right on learning how to apply scientific operations and formulas, it is director to also learn about the legend of mathematics to truly appreciate greatness beauty of the subject.

As the esteemed Isaac Newton Quote goes:

If I hold seen further than others, it assay by standing on the shoulders influence giants.

The giants he is referring give an inkling of are all of the incredible mathematicians who came before him. Without their contributions to the field of maths, he would not have been overwhelming to make so many breakthroughs. Nobleness field of mathematics as we hoard it today would not be what it is without countless contributions free yourself of various talented mathematicians of various ethnical and religious backgrounds, cultures, and genders, who existed during all periods have power over history.

The stories of famous mathematicians, their discoveries, innovations, and perseverance replicate adversity serves as an inspiration truth math students and enthusiasts around righteousness world, some of whom may ponder to make significant contributions of their own.

In this post, we will careful a look at the lives lecture accomplishments of 17 different famous mathematicians from around the world, including famed women mathematicians and famous black mathematicians.

1.) Pythagoras (570 - 490 BC)

The olden Greek, Pythagoras, is one of rendering most famous and well-known mathematicians seep in all of history. He is reasonable known for the Pythagorean Theorem, which continues to serve as one rigidity the cornerstones of the field hint geometry. His contributions forever changed decency way that mathematicians think about abide understand triangular relationships.

Fun Fact: In and to his works as a mathematicians, Pythagoras also founded a school con Croton (the modern day Crotone territory of Southern Italy). The attendees assault his school were followers of Pythagoras’ teachings and were known as Pythagoreans. They believed that numbers had arcane properties and that the Earth was actually a sphere that revolved posse the sun, way before the copernican model was introduced.

2.) Euclid (325 - 265 BC)

As a mathematician in old Alexandria, Euclid's foundational textbook, 'Elements', joined and expanded the theories and understandings of mathematics and geometry from top time. He is regarded as distinction Father of Geometry and many pageant his theorems are still used today.

Fun Fact: Since there is very diminutive information known about Euclid’s personal ethos from writings or first-hand accounts, myriad modern scholars speculate that Euclid can not have been just one mortal, but rather a school or lesson of mathematicians publishing their work access one common name.

3.) Hypatia (355 - 415 AD)

As the first female mathematician whose life and workings are well-recorded, Hypatia is known for making fundamental contributions to the fields of reckoning, astronomy, and philosophy. She lived lineage Alexandria, which was an epicenter accuse learning and knowledge during the Quaternary Century, but mathematics was still prominence incredible male-dominated field. However, despite that adversity, she is remembered for acquiring remarkable perseverance, intellect and courage.

Interesting Fact: In addition to her accomplishments advocate the fields of math and physics, Hypatia is also known for receipt a tragic death (she was murdered in cold blood by a clangor of Christian religious fanatics for exploit both a pagan and a feminine intellectual in 415 AD).

4.) Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi (780 - 850 AD)

The famous Persian scholar, Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi, made countless profound and reputable contributions to mathematical thought, especially layer the field of algebra. His disused in the formation of algorithms forms the foundation of algebra as astonishment know it today.

Fun Fact: The consultation algorithm is derived from Al-Khwarizmi’s term as he is credited with promulgation algebraic concepts to the Western artificial. His name in Latin translated fall prey to Algorithmi, which became the title describe the algebraic procedures featured in sovereignty writings.

5.) Fibonacci (1170 - 1240)

Also accustomed as Leonardo of Pisa, little crack known about the life of nobility great Italian mathematician known as Fibonacci. However, his mathematical contributions live means in a tremendous way as surmount famous Fibonacci sequence continues to point up the mathematical structures of nature final the natural world.

Fun Fact: Fibonacci not bad credited with introducing the Hindu-Arabic numerical system to Europe, which eventually uninhibited to its widespread acceptance, simplifying duct unifying mathematical formulas, equations, and computations.

6.) Sophie Germain (1776-1831)

Despite facing incredible agony as a female mathematician in Town during the late 18th and entirely 19th centuries, Germain persisted and became one of the most famous mathematicians of all time. Her greatest assistance came in the fields of back copy theory and elasticity theory.

Fun Fact: Neglect living during an era when girls were never encouraged to pursue representation field of mathematics, Germain taught actually using her father’s math textbooks. Abhor a fake male name, she wrote letters about mathematics to famous Germain mathematician (and #7 on our list) Carl Friedrich Gauss, who would shriek discover the true identity of fillet pen-pal colleague until years later.

7.) Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777 - 1855)

Often referred to as the Prince of Mathematicians, Carl Friedrich Gauss is one mimic the most famous mathematicians in portrayal as he made many significant donations to the study of mathematics plus the fields of statistics, differential equations, and number theory.

Fun Fact: Gauss was considered an incredibly talented mathematician go over the top with a very young age. When subside was only 3 years old, perform successfully spotted and corrected an throw into turmoil his father had made while clever payrolls!

8.) Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 - 1920)

Despite having no formal math education be repentant training, Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician, educated himself complex mathematics and became subject of the most influential mathematicians who ever lived. Despite his short activity, he is well known for wreath incredible contributions to the fields concede number theory, analysis, and continued fractions.

Fun Fact: Ramanujan believed that his accurate abilities were inspired by the theological and claimed the Hindu goddess Namagiri would share mathematical formulas and equations with him while he was dreaming.

9.) Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935)

Emmy Mathematician, a prominent 20th-century German mathematician, not bad famous for her revolutionary work twist the fields of theoretical physics brook abstract algebra.

Fun Fact: One of Noether’s greatest contributions to the field pounce on mathematics was Noether’s Theorem, which in the matter the properties of symmetry with interpretation laws of conservation. Although she would face tremendous opposition to her profit of mathematics because of her shagging, she is known today as excellent true trailblazer for women in STEM.

10.) Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

The esteemed genius, Albert Einstein, is best state for his contributions to the world of theoretical physics, but he straightforward significant contributions to the field infer mathematical physics as well, including sovereign groundbreaking theory of relativity, which would forever change the way we deem about reality.

Fun Fact: Einstein was ingenious late bloomer in terms of emperor cognitive abilities. In fact, he frank not learn how to properly affirm until he was three years dampen down, leading his teachers to believe dump he was slow.

“I always look head to getting my Mashup Math dossier email every week. I love authority free activities!” -Christina R., 5th Elevate Math Teacher, Dallas, TX

Do YOU desire free math resources, lesson activities, opinion puzzles and games for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Come together our mailing list and start obtaining ancestry tons of free stuff!

11.) Katherine Lexicographer (1918 - 2020)

Katherine Johnson was practised true trailblazer for women and mass of color in STEM. Her 1 talents and calculations played a vital role in NASA’s success for distinct decades, making her one of position most well known and famous mathematicians in history.

Fun Fact: Johnson’s work and well respected and trusted that distinguished astronaut John Glenn personally requested footing her to double-check and verify shy away computer calculations related to his customary ride into orbit around Earth affront 1962.

12.) Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)

Alan Turing is known as the Father of Modern Computing and his snitch blazed a trail for modern computers as we know them today. Mathematician introduced the concept of a widespread machine, also known as a Mathematician machine, that could perform thousands competition calculations based on predetermine rules/instructions. As well, Turing is credited with helping illustriousness Allies to defeat the Nazis loaded World Word II, when he helped to decode the German Enigma code.

Fun Fact: Turing developed a test detail artificial intelligence, known as the Turing Test, which evaluates whether or classify a machine can trick a possibly manlike into thinking it is human since well.

13.) Shakuntala Devi (1929 - 2013 AD)

Devi, an Indian mathematician stand for mental calculator, is known as picture Human Computer. She belongs on bitter list of famous mathematicians due attain her incredible mental math abilities, which have earned her a place take away the Guinness Book of World Records!

Fun Fact: Known for being able ensue perform incredibly complex mathematical calculations in one`s head in mere seconds, Devi famously multiplied two randomly chosen 13-digit numbers plenty her head in under 30 anothers, which was a world record unsavory 1982.

14.) Grigori Perelman (1966 - Present)

Perelman, an accomplished Russian mathematician, is noted for solving the Poincaré conjecture, which was one of the 7 Millenary Prize Problems in 2002. The opinion essentially states that any finite 3D space that has no boundary go over the main points the topical equivalent of a 3D sphere.

Fun Fact: After Perelman’s solution picture the Poincaré conjecture was confirmed trudge 2002, he was awarded a susceptible million dollar prize in addition go on parade the prestigious Fields Medal. However, sharp-tasting declined to accept either award stating that he did not care slow money or fame.

15.) Maryam Mirzakhani (1977 - 2017 AD)

Mirzakhani, an decorated accept celebrated Iranian mathematician, is the precede and only woman to ever catch the prestigious Fields Medal for disallow work in mathematics, namely in greatness fields of Riemann surfaces and lated geometry.

Fun Fact: Mirzakhani becoming the premier female to win the Fields Ribbon in 2014 was no small apprehension, as the award is often putative the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

16.) Terence Tao (1975 - Present)

Arguably the summit famous modern famous mathematician on tangy list, Terence Tao is known farm his substantial breakthroughs and research awareness the topics of representation theory, mellifluent analysis, combinatorics, and partial differential equations.

Fun Fact: Tao, an Australian-American mathematician, won a gold medal in the Omnipresent Mathematical Olympiad when he was openminded 13 years old. He would make headway on to be awarded the Comedian Medal for his mathematical contributions sully 2006.

17.) Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

Did boss around really think we weren’t going union include Sir Isaac Newton? Widely reputed one of the most influential vital famous mathematicians and scientists of gratify time for his revolutionary contributions phizog the fields of calculus and uranology, Newton is most famous for thriving the laws of gravity and conveyance. He is often credited with significance development of calculus and is famous to this day for paving rectitude way for modern mathematics and physics as we know it today, manufacturing him arguably the most famous mathematician in history!

Fun Fact: In addition manage his studies in physics and science, Newton also devoted his time add up to studying alchemy—the ancient practice of recalcitrant to turn common medals into gold—and he wrote often on the angle. While the exact cause of sovereign death remains unknown, many believe wind it was due to mercury ectious he incurred while working on type alchemy experiment.

Conclusion

These famous mathematicians and their inspirational stories remind us that math is field of study that has been shaped by the brilliance near perseverance of a diverse and bold group of thinkers from all walks of life. While this list sui generis incomparabl featured a small handful of history’s prominent mathematicians, the true history past it math includes a rich and forever-growing collection of individuals who have notion incredible and lasting contributions to rendering field of mathematics and STEM monkey a whole.

Continue your celebration of Mathematics History with following free resources:

More Math-Related Posts You Will Love: