Biography of some famous mathematicians in history
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Employing the Dirichlet principle, Riemann successfully formulated the renowned Riemann mapping theorem.
The legacy of Riemann’s mathematical contributions extends beyond his time, as some of his equations found application in Einstein’s General Relativity theory.
G.H. Fourier lived during the French Revolution and got swept up in the revolution and its politics.
Learn more about Joseph Fourier at Britannica.
His contributions forever changed the way that mathematicians think about and understand triangular relationships.
Fun Fact: In addition to his works as a mathematicians, Pythagoras also founded a school in Croton (the modern day Crotone region of Southern Italy). Despite his short life, he is well known for his incredible contributions to the fields of number theory, analysis, and continued fractions.
Fun Fact: Ramanujan believed that his mathematical abilities were inspired by the divine and claimed the Hindu goddess Namagiri would share mathematical formulas and equations with him while he was dreaming.
9.) Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935)
Emmy Noether, a prominent 20th-century German mathematician, is famous for her revolutionary work in the fields of theoretical physics and abstract algebra.
Fun Fact: One of Noether’s greatest contributions to the field of mathematics was Noether’s Theorem, which links the properties of symmetry with the laws of conservation.
In her life, she made many contributions to math, including studying rings, groupings, and fields in algebra.
He was also optimistic about mathematics and famously declared in a 1930 radio appearance, “We must know! Lagrange started his mathematical career with variational calculus (in 1754), which led to the formulation of the Euler–Lagrange equation.
Lagrange later reformulated classical mechanics, introducing Lagrangian Mechanics.
Her mathematical talents and calculations played a crucial role in NASA’s success for several decades, making her one of the most well known and famous mathematicians in history.
Fun Fact: Johnson’s work so well respected and trusted that famous astronaut John Glenn personally requested for her to double-check and verify all computer calculations related to his historic ride into orbit around Earth in 1962.
12.) Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)
Alan Turing is known as the Father of Modern Computing and his work blazed a trail for modern computers as we know them today.
He focused on number theory, specifically Diophantine analysis (an equation where only integer solutions are permitted), transcendental numbers, fractions, and elliptical curves. Nash led a dramatic life marked by extraordinary mathematical insights and a decades-long struggle with schizophrenia that became widely known through the film A Beautiful Mind.
Famous Mathematicians of the 21st Century
17.
He was studying at the University of Berlin when he worked out his general theory of complex variables, which is the foundation of his other work. Jackson was also depicted in the book and movie Hidden Figures along with Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. Mirzakhani was interested in math from a young age and won gold medals in 1994 and 1995 in the high school International Mathematical Olympiads.
David Hilbert
David Hilbert in his Göttingen home | Image Courtesy: idw-online.de
Known For: Proof theory, Hilbert’s problems
David Hilbert was perhaps one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. However, despite this adversity, she is remembered for having remarkable perseverance, intellect and courage.
Interesting Fact: In addition to her accomplishments in the fields of math and astronomy, Hypatia is also known for having a tragic death (she was murdered in cold blood by a mob of Christian religious fanatics for being both a pagan and a female 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 lasting contributions to mathematical thought, especially in the field of algebra.
His remarkable intellect was powered by a photographic memory that allowed him to perform complex calculations mentally without writing them down.
HENRI POINCARÉ
Henri Poincaré was the “last universalist” in mathematics who laid foundations for chaos theory and topology.
Hipparchus
Greece, 190–120 B.C.E.
Hipparchus is known first for his astronomy, including creating models for how the sun and moon survive. Riemann worked on geometry that went beyond two and three dimensions, and worked in the zeta function and in multi-dimensional complex numbers. Postulate five is about the nature of parallel lines.
He also influenced the theory of functions as a real variable, which is still studied today.