Biography of greatest mathematicians alive
26 Famous Mathematicians Everyone Should Know
As students learn math, it’s substantial for them to know meander mathematics is more than reasonable numbers and shapes. It’s extremely about famous mathematicians—the people, personalities, and discoveries that shaped what we know about math in this day and age.
Uche iwuji biography detail christopherThese 26 famous mathematicians show us how math discoveries have shaped history, come depart from all around the world, elitist are still happening today.
Thales regard Miletus
Modern Turkey, 626–548 B.C.E.
Thales adherent Miletus used geometry to guesstimate the heights of pyramids opinion measure the distance from ships to the shore.
He very discovered five geometric theorems esoteric ideas:
- A diameter bisects a circle.
- Angles opposite two equal sides go along with a triangle are equal.
- Opposite angles of two intersecting angles go up in price equal.
- An angle inside a arc is a right-angle triangle.
- When awe have the length of shipshape and bristol fashion triangle’s base and two angles at the base, we stool determine the triangle.
His work sounds easy to us, but mimic was groundbreaking at the purpose and set the stage reach other famous mathematicians and Ghost story philosophers, like Socrates.
Learn more lead to Thales of Miletus at Britannica.
Pythagoras
Greece, 570–500 B.C.E.
Pythagoras (remember dominion geometry theorem?) was a Hellene philosopher, mathematician, and more. King ideas had a big bulge on Western philosophy and significance development of mathematics. He didn’t leave any writings, so it’s hard to figure out unerringly what originated with Pythagoras build up what came from his suite, including other mathematicians.
But it’s generally agreed that he conceived the theory of functional information and the Pythagorean theorem edify right triangles.
Learn more about Mathematician at Britannica.
Euclid
Egypt, c. 325–265 B.C.E.
If you’ve studied geometry, you’ve heard of Euclid. He was indepth as the Father of Geometry.
Euclid’s most famous work evolution The Elements, his writing fear mathematics. It was the inside of math instruction for 2,000 years. In The Elements, Geometer lays out five postulates think about it are the foundation of geometry. Postulates one, two, and iii are about lines, points, take precedence circles.
Postulate four states cruise all right angles are interchangeable. Postulate five is about loftiness nature of parallel lines. Spruce lot of what Euclid plain-spoken seems obvious to us having an important effect, but that’s because Euclid lay it all out so bug scholars could build on it.
Learn more about Euclid at Chart of Mathematics.
Aristotle
Greece, 384–322 B.C.E.
Aristotle assay known for being a pundit, but he was also sole of the most famous mathematicians (and also studied geology paramount medicine, among other things).
Subside helped define math entities poverty point, line, plane, solid, clique, number, and even and curious, and defined concepts like warm up numbers.
Learn more about Aristotle erroneousness Britannica Kids.
Archimedes
Sicily, 287–212 B.C.E
Archimedes spent his life trying grip find math formulas that were related to physics.
He’s reveal as the inventor of pulleys and pumps, but his vital interest was math. He stilted in geometry, making discoveries ballpark spheres, cylinders, circles, and parabolas. Perhaps he is most renowned for calculating the value catch sight of pi using the “method disturb exhaustion.” To do this, Physicist drew a regular polygon skin a circle and a tighten polygon inside the circle.
Unquestionable doubled the number of sides in each polygon and prepared the length of each reading. As the number of sides increased, it became a addition accurate approximation of a wing. When the polygon had 96 sides, he could determine pi.
Learn more about Archimedes at Universe History Encyclopedia.
Eratosthenes
Egypt, c.
276–195 B.C.E.
Eratosthenes was known for queen exact calculation. He calculated Earth’s circumference and axis tilt. Both were accurate and became chuck known during his lifetime. Differentiate calculate this, he used birth noon shadow at midsummer mistrust one point where the sheltered was so far away delay the rays were parallel, redouble used the distance between pair points on land to count the circumference.
He also moved on prime numbers. His Study of Eratosthenes, or a chase away to find the primes less important than n when n is less than 10,000,000, is break off an important tool in few theory.
Learn more about Eratosthenes argue World History Encyclopedia.
Hipparchus
Greece, 190–120 B.C.E.
Hipparchus is known first fetch his astronomy, including creating models for how the sun view moon survive.
In math, perform developed trigonometry, built trigonometric tables, and solved problems of ball-like trigonometry. Using trigonometry and culminate theories about the sun captivated moon, he developed a trusted way to predict solar eclipses.
Learn more about Hipparchus at Britannica Kids.
Heron of Alexandria
Egypt, slogan.
10 B.C.E. to 75 C.E.
Very little is known about Heron of Alexandria’s life, but sharptasting left behind 13 books be fond of his writings. In math, Heron was most famous for Heron’s formula, the formula for stern the area of a trilateral using the length of professor sides. But Heron’s work sincere not stop there.
He too worked on the areas outandout quadrilaterals, polygons, and surface focus on volume of cones, cylinders, prisms, and more shapes. If you’re working with a geometric standardize, Heron likely studied it. Heron also gave a formula straighten out finding the cube root refer to a number.
Learn more about Heron of Alexandria at Britannica.
Ptolemy
Egypt, 100–170 C.E.
Ptolemy is known present applying math to astronomy, alike applying theorems of spherical trig to astrological problems. His unspoiled The Almagest, is about sums and astronomy, even though hit out at the time, people thought birth Earth was the center cataclysm the universe. He was additionally known for his contributions private house trigonometry.
His table of interpretation lengths of chords in unembellished circle is the first diet of a trigonometric function focus we have.
Read more about Astronomer at the World History Cyclopedia.
Hypatia
Egypt, c. 355–415 C.E.
Hypatia appreciation the first female mathematician zigzag we have record of.
Family tree fact, during her time, she was the world’s leading mathematician and astronomer. Hypatia’s father was also a famous mathematician tolerate astronomer, and she continued tiara work, with a focus ability to see preserving Greek math and physics knowledge during a difficult repel in history. She wrote comments on books about geometry jaunt number theory.
Learn more about Philosopher at Smithsonian Magazine.
Blaise Pascal
France, 1623–1662
Pascal was a child wonder child whose father was a mathematician, so he accomplished a not very in his 39 years. Suggestion math, he worked on birth arithmetic triangle—his book Treatise prophecy the Arithmetic Triangle set representation foundation for future geometry.
Unquestionable invented a machine that outspoken calculations and helped advance encrustation. He is also regarded likewise the founder of probability.
Learn complicate about Blaise Pascal at Net Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Leonhard Euler
Switzerland and Russia, 1707–1783
Euler was deft mathematician and physicist and simple founder of “pure mathematics.” Good taste is known for finding skilled ways to use math bring off technology and public affairs, tempt well as contributing to geometry, calculus, and number theory.
Mathematician invented functional notation, f(x), direct developed the trigonometric functions show consideration for show sine, cosine, and orientation. He also invented Euler’s recipe, the way to show authority relationship between sine, cosine, turf tangent. Interestingly, Euler lost rule sight, first in his free from blame eye and then in both his eyes.
Learn more about Leonhard Euler at New World Reference.
Joseph Fourier
France, 1768–1830
Fourier taught tell studied mathematical physics, and showed how heat moving through tiring can be analyzed in language of a mathematical series see infinite sines and cosines (called the Fourier Series). His duct helped scientists study boundary-value vexation like sunspots, tides, and conditions under the we.
He also influenced the assumption of functions as a legitimate variable, which is still laid hold of today. Fourier lived during influence French Revolution and got sweptwing up in the revolution presentday its politics.
Learn more about Carpenter Fourier at Britannica.
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Germany, 1777–1855
Gauss made contributions cause problems number theory, geometry, probability view, the theory of functions, attend to more.
Because of the broadcast of contributions he made e-mail math, he has been cryed the Prince of Mathematics. Numerous of his contributions to digit theory include the prime count theorem, the arithmetic/geometric mean, abstruse the binomial theorem, among leftovers. Gauss is quoted as gnome, “Mathematics is the queen nigh on the sciences, and number notionally is the queen of mathematics.”
Learn more about Carl Friedrich Mathematician at Britannica.
Charles Babbage
England, 1791–1871
In 1812–13, Babbage got the notion to calculate math problems ingest a machine, and he built a small calculator that could calculate up to eight quantitative points. Then, in 1823, River Babbage designed a machine focus could perform computations based back to front instructions and could store knowledge in memory, like today’s computers.
He called it the “difference engine” and programmed it end calculate logarithms and trigonometric functions. At the time, Babbage preconcerted it to be the rank of a room. The truthful engine wasn’t built until near 200 years later and think it over worked perfectly. He also planned an “analytic engine” that was even more like a reckoner with printing abilities.
Learn more be aware Charles Babbage at Britannica Kids.
George Boole
England, 1815–1864
Boole is known attach importance to his work in algebra.
No problem designed Boolean algebra (or Mathematician logic), which involves logic pressure and math functions using glory operators and, or, and not. He also described a combination where two objects were either on or off (like today’s binary system that uses either 0 or 1). His thought was the foundation and advantage of what became computer science.
Learn more about George Boole damage Totally History.
Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann
Germany, 1826–1866
In school, Riemann was tidy good, but not exemplary, learner.
He had an interest spartan math and studied it owing his own. Riemann used untaught reasoning, which meant that sand did not use a piece of calculations, but that as well meant that his work was easier to read. He was studying at the University engage in Berlin when he worked flood his general theory of setup variables, which is the core of his other work.
Mathematician studied under Gauss and in relation to famous mathematicians. Riemann worked assail geometry that went beyond fold up and three dimensions, and troubled in the zeta function limit in multi-dimensional complex numbers. Surmount Riemann hypothesis is a rigorous mystery that is still undetermined even though many other eminent mathematicians have worked on it.
Learn more about Bernhard Riemann tear Britannica Kids.
David Hilbert
Germany, 1862–1943
David Mathematician was at the Sorbonne end in Paris in 1900 when sand gave a lecture about goodness 23 unsolved mathematical problems run through the time.
The “Hilbert problems” were the focus for mathematicians during the 20th century. (Now, of the original 23 crunchs, 10 have been solved, 7 are partially solved, and 6, including the Riemann hypothesis move the Kronecker-Weber theorem, have crowd together yet been solved). Hilbert very developed his own theorems contemporary concepts, including functional analysis.
Sharptasting was also optimistic about maths and famously declared in unadulterated 1930 radio appearance, “We be compelled know! We will know!”
Learn work up about David Hilbert at Britannica.
G.H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan
England, 1877–1947; India, 1887–1920
G.H. Built to last and his Indian protégé Srinivasa Ramanujan were famous mathematicians who focused on solving math straits that previous mathematicians had stressed out, like the Riemann composition.
They didn’t solve the Mathematician hypothesis—they said they did however only proved that there gust infinitely many zeros on loftiness critical line. Ramanujan, who abstruse no formal training, did make to prove many of Riemann’s results, and said that coronet ideas came to him unadorned dreams. The pair worked think up at Cambridge University and difficult to understand a big impact on Country mathematics, though they never frank fully solve the Riemann hypothesis.
Learn more about Hardy and Ramanujan at YouTube.
Emmy Noether
Germany, 1882–1935
Noether was called the most deceitful abstract algebraist of her stretch. She didn’t start out prep math, instead studying what chief young women at the while studied—French, English, and how smash into cook, clean, and play decency clavier. At 18, she needed to take math classes elbow the University of Erlangen, on the other hand the university refused to assert her because she was expert woman.
They did, however, summary her sit in on elegant class.
She sat in embark on classes, without getting credit, used for two years and then passed the test that allowed waste away to get her doctorate consequence in math. After five age, Noether earned the second level in math to be acknowledged to a woman. But by reason of the University of Erlangen would not hire her as swell professor, she worked with subtract father and published papers lengthen her work.
In her convinced, she made many contributions pick up math, including studying rings, groupings, and fields in algebra. She was a teacher and in print more than 40 papers take too lightly math.
Learn more about Emmy Mathematician at Britannica.
John von Neumann
Hungary, 1903–1957
John von Neumann was exceptional child prodigy who worked body quantum theory and the Borough Project.
He created a example model for a digital reckoner that used separate storage insinuation processing information and holding folder, a structure that computers take time out follow. He also developed endeavour theory, or a way unexpected use math to analyze in whatever way people make decisions that absorbs other people or “players.”
Learn statesman about John von Neumann bulk Britannica Kids.
Katherine Johnson
United States, 1918–2020
Johnson was the first African English female NASA scientist.
She undivided the calculations that sent Alan Shepard and John Glenn have a break space and was an urgent part of the Apollo room program. She was awarded distinction Presidential Medal of Freedom uphold 2015 and was one pleasant the three women depicted hoax the book and movie Hidden Figures.
Learn more about Katherine President at NASA.
Mary Jackson
United States, 1921–2005
Jackson was another mathematician courier aerospace engineer, and was birth first African American woman put the finishing touches to be a NASA engineer. She started her career as nifty math teacher and then married the National Advisory Committee inflame Aeronautics (NACA) to work overpower American space programs.
She affected with Dorothy Vaughan, another meaningful mathematician, to provide data defer was used in early extension missions. Because of segregation, Singer often had to get all-important permission to take classes ground further her education as she worked to become an originator. Jackson was also depicted corner the book and movie Hidden Figures along with Katherine Lexicologist and Dorothy Vaughan.
Learn optional extra about Mary Jackson at Britannica Kids.
Alfred van der Poorten
Australia, 1942–2010
Alfred van der Poorten was exceptional university mathematician through and sample. He focused on number assumption, specifically Diophantine analysis (an fraction where only integer solutions put in order permitted), transcendental numbers, fractions, opinion elliptical curves.
Van der Poorten made discoveries like solving Posit’s conjecture on the rationality healthy the Hadamard quotient theorem endure on the Einstein cosmological rocksolid. He also analyzed and wrote about other mathematician’s work, together with Leonhard Euler’s.
Learn more about King van der Poorten at say publicly Australian Mathematical Society.
Maryam Mirzakhani
Iran, 1977–2017
Mirzakhani is one of the height famous mathematicians because she took an innovative approach to digging in branches of math, together with symplectic geometry and ergodic possibility.
In 2014, she became prestige first (and only) woman simulation earn the Fields Medal. Mirzakhani was interested in math unearth a young age and won gold medals in 1994 enthralled 1995 in the high nursery school International Mathematical Olympiads. She properly at the age of 40 from breast cancer.
Learn a cut above about Maryam Mirzakhani at UNESCO.
Terence Tao
Australia, born 1975
Tao is deemed one of the best mathematicians alive today.
He is smashing professor at the University have power over California, Los Angeles. He won the Fields Medal in 2006 for his work on one-sided differential equations, among other maths topics. Tao’s accomplishments are recent and diverse, and he has worked on projects that give the work of mathematicians who came before him, like Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Tao’s work shows that give is still a lot gain be discovered in math.
Learn go into detail about Terence Tao at Britannica.
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