Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Nationality: German, American
Famous For: E=m*c2
Albert Einstein excelled in mathematics early in his childhood.
He liked to study math on his own. He was once quoted as
saying, I never failed in mathematicsbefore I was fifteen I
had mastered differential integral calculus.
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
Nationality: English
Famous For:Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
The book of Sir Isaac Newton,Mathematical Principles of
Natural Philosophy, became the catalyst to understanding
mechanics. He is also the person credited for the
development of the binomial theorem.
Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (1170-1250)
Thales (c. 624 c.547/546 BC)
Nationality: Italian
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Fibonacci sequence
Famous For: Father of science & Thales theorem
Heralded as the most talented western mathematician of
Thales used principles of mathematics, specifically geometry,
the middle ages, Leonardo Pisano Bigollo is better known as
to solve everyday problems. He is considered as the first
Fibonacci. He introduced the Arabic-Hindu number system to
true mathematician. His deductive reasoning principles are
the western world. In his book, Liber Abaci(Book of
applied in geometry that is a product of Thales Theorem.
Calculation), he included a sequence of numbers that are
known today as Fibonacci numbers.
Pythagoras (c. 570 c. 495 BC)
Ren Descartes (1596-1650)
Nationality: Greek
Nationality: French
Famous For: Pythagorean theorem
Famous For: Cartesian coordinate system
Pythagoras is best known in mathematics for the Pythagorean
The Cartesian coordinate system in mathematics is named
Theorem.
after Rene Descartes. As a mathematician, he is seen as the
father of analytical geometry in addition to explaining
infinitesimal calculus and analysis.
Archimedes (c. 287 c. 212 BC)
John Forbes Nash, Jr. (1928)
Nationality: Greek
Nationality: American
Famous For: Greatest mathematician of antiquity
Famous For: Nash embedding theorem
Archimedes provided principles and methods used in
The work of American mathematician John Nash includes
mathematics today. He provided the exact numerical value
studies in differential geometry, game theory, and partial
of pi, developed a system for large numbers to be expressed,
differential equations. He is best known for the Nash
and the method of exhaustion.
embedding theorem. His work in algebraic geometry is also
seen as milestone in mathematics.
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Euclid (c. 365 c. 275 BC)
Nationality: French
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Pascals Triangle
Famous For: Father of geometry
Pascal is recognized for two mathematical areas of study,
The earliest known math books is one written by Greek
projective geometry and probability theory. He describes in
mathematician Euclid, Elements is its title. It serve as a
his paper,Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle, an easy to
textbook to teach geometry and mathematics. His
understand table of binomial coefficients known as Pascals
mathematical system is known as Euclidean geometry.
Triangle
Aryabhata (c. 476 c. 550)
Ptolemy (c. 90 c. 168 AD)
Nationality: Indian
Nationality: Greco-Roman
Famous For: Writing ryabhaya and the Arya-siddhanta
Famous For: Almagest
Indian mathematician Aryabhattas contribution include his
Ptolemy was a mathematician of the highest order. In his
work on providing an approximate value to pi. He likewise
book Almagest, or The Mathematical Compilation, Ptolemy
touched on the concepts of sine, cosine, and the place-value
provides mathematical theories related to the solar system.
system.
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
Alan Turing (1912-1954)
Nationality: English
Nationality: British
Famous For: Work on the Analytical Engine
Famous For: Father of computer science
English mathematician Ada Lovelace is recognized as the
Turings fame as a mathematician can be attributed to his
worlds first computer programmer. Her mathematical skills
formulating of algorithms and computations for a computer,
were evident at an early age. As part of her work, she
the Turing Machine. His mathematical background helped
produced a mathematical algorithm that would be later used
device techniques in code breaking, specifically in world war
in computers.
2. In 1948 Turing became interested in mathematical biology.
Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920)
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)
Nationality: Indian
Nationality: African American
Famous For: Landau-Ramanujan constant
Famous For: Calculating a solar eclipse
Ramanujan was a genius in mathematics. He helped expand
Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught mathematician. He used
mathematical theory, particularly in continued fractions,
his mathematical skills to predict an eclipse and the
infinite series, mathematical analysis, and number theory. He
seventeen-year cycle of locusts.
conducted mathematical research in seclusion.
Omar Khayym (1048-1131)
Eratosthenes (276 194 BC)
Nationality: Persian
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra
Famous For: Sieve of Eratosthenes
Omar Khayyam wrote one of the most important books in
Eratosthenes provided the concept of a simple algorithm as a
mathematics, Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of
way to locate prime numbers. The Sieve of Eratosthenes that
Algebra from which most algebraic principles have been
has been used to find prime numbers.
drawn from. In the area of geometry, Khayyam worked on
the theory of proportions.
John von Neumann (1903-1957)
Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665)
Nationality: Hungarian
Nationality: French
Famous For: Operator theory and quantum mechanics
Famous For: Fermats Last Theorem
The mathematical evaluation of self-replication by John von
As an amateur mathematician, de Fermat is given recognition
Neumann came before the DNA model was introduced. Other
for his work that has led to infinitesimal calculus. He applied
mathematical subjects he tackled include the mathematical
the use of adequality in explaining his mathematical
formulation of quantum mechanics, game theory,
constructs. De Fermats also contributed to the math fields of
mathematical statistics and mathematical economics. His
analytic geometry, differential calculus, and number theory.
contribution to the study of the operator theory is equally
important.
John Napier (1550-1617)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)
Nationality: Scottish
Nationality: German
Famous For: Inventing logarithms
Famous For: Infinitesimal calculus
John Napier is responsible for manufacturing logarithms. It
The work of Leibniz on infinitesimal calculus was one
was also he who applied the everyday use of the decimal
completely separate from Isaac Newton. His mathematical
point in mathematics and arithmetic. Napiers bones was an
notation continues to be in use. He also proposed the
abacus created by John. The device was used mainly for
mathematical principle known as the Transcendental Law of
multiplication problems.
Homogeneity. His refining of the binary system has become
foundational in mathematics.
Andrew Wiles (1953)
David Hilbert (1862-1943)
Nationality: Proving Fermats Last Theorem
Nationality: German
Famous For: British
Famous For: Hilberts basis theorem
Andrew Wiles was successful in proving Fermats Last
In cumulative algebra, the use of Hilberts basis theory has
Theorem. He also used the Iwasawa theory to identify
produced varying results. David Hilbert explored and
elliptic curves using its complex multiplication system. Wiles,
improved on ideas such as axiomatization of geometry and
with a colleague, worked on rational numbers under the
the invariant theory. Functional analysis, a branch of
Iwasawa theory.
mathematical analysis, is based on the formulation of
Hilberts spaces theory.
Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782)
Luca Pacioli (1445-1517)
Nationality: Swiss
Nationality: Italian
Famous For: Bernoulli principle
Famous For: Father of accounting
Hydrodynamica by Daniel Bernoulli was a book that touched
Fifteenth century friar and mathematician Luca Pacioli
on mathematical principles applied in other sciences.
developed an accounting or bookkeeping methods that are
still in use today. Because of this, Pacioli is viewed by many as
the father of accounting.
Georg Cantor (1845-1918)
George Boole (1815-1864)
Nationality: German
Nationality: English
Famous For: Inventor of set theory
Famous For: Boolean algebra
One of the basic theories in mathematics is the set theory,
George Boole and his ideas on mathematics were in the field
thanks to the work of Georg Cantor. He helped define the
of algebraic logic and differential equations. He is the source
importance of the one-to-one correspondence principle as
of what is known as Boolean logic in algebra. This and
well as introduce cardinal and ordinal numbers.
other mathematical concepts are part of his bookThe Laws of
Thought.
variste Galois (1811-1832)
Sophie Germain (1776-1831)
Nationality: French
Nationality: French
Famous For: Theory of Equations
Famous For: Sophie Germain prime numbers
Galois worked on abstract algebra and the theory of
Sophie Germain worked extensively in the mathematical field
equations. He also set forth a solution to the polynomial
of number theory and differential geometry. She helped lay
equation which is know as the Galois theory.
possible solutions to Ferrats Last Theorem. Sophies work
with number theory earned her recognition and having
numbers named after her, Sophie Germain prime.
Emmy Noether (1882-1935)
Edward Witten (1951)
Nationality: German
Nationality: American
Famous For: Abstract algebra
Famous For: String theory
Emmy Noether and her work on abstract algebra makes her
Edward Witten specialized in the field of mathematical
one of the most important mathematicians of her time. She
physics. He brought together math concepts and basic
introduced theories on algebraic variants and number fields.
physics.
In Noethers paper, Theory of Ideals in Ring Domains, she
presented her ideas on the commutative ring, an abstract
algebra sub area.
