Biographical sketches of famous mathematicians biography

Yet even a formula or its application can tell a story—a story that involves a problem and a solution. There are many wonderful biographies of mathematicians and the problems they attempt to solve. Hidden in the illustrations are objects that incorporate Fibonacci numbers and spirals. As he worked his farm he taught himself astronomy through reading and observation.

Below are other titles, some of which are favorites with my students. With the emphasis on women in STEM fields, there has been an influx of picture books published on women pioneers in mathematics and science. This biography tells the story of Ada Byron Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, a famous British romantic poet, and her mother, Lady Byron, who loved math and science.

Ada filled journals with ideas for inventions and equations, and eventually befriended Charles Babbage, inventor of the Difference Engine a mechanical calculator. Ada developed an algorithm that helped his next invention, the Analytical Engine, solve more complex math problems. This is acknowledged as the first computer program.

Born in the ancient Greek city of Miletus in the 7th century BCE, Thales was a polymath who significantly contributed to mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.

Biographical sketches of famous mathematicians biography

He is credited with having laid the groundwork for the study of geometry with his discovery that certain geometric figures, such as the circle, have properties that are independent of the materials used to make them. Thales also made key contributions to astronomy. He is also said to have accurately predicted the size of the next harvest, using his knowledge of astronomical cycles and weather patterns.

In addition to his achievements in mathematics and astronomy, Thales was also a philosopher who sought to understand the nature of reality. He believed that all things were made of water, an idea that was revolutionary for its time and contributed greatly to the development of ancient Greek philosophy. Thales was a highly respected figure in ancient Greek society and was sought after as an advisor by kings and politicians.

He founded a mathematical school in Miletus, and his teachings were passed down through his students, including Anaximander and Anaximenes, who would contribute to philosophy and science. His legacy continues to be felt today, as his ideas and discoveries remain essential to our understanding of the natural world. Euclid is highly regarded as one of the most influential figures in all mathematics.

He was an ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher who developed a systematic approach to mathematical proofs, laying down the foundations for modern geometry with his book Elements. His work focused on points, lines, angles, and parallelism and formulated many important ideas about circles, triangles, quadrilaterals, proportionality, and incommensurable magnitudes.

It contains some of the earliest known proofs, which have been studied and appreciated by generations of mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists. Euclid is also credited with establishing a rigorous approach to logical reasoning , an essential part of mathematics today. His influence on Euclidean geometry and our modern understanding of mathematics cannot be overstated; he was one of the greatest minds in history.

Archimedes is highly regarded as one of the most famous mathematicians and scientists of all time. Born in Syracuse, Sicily, in the 3rd century BCE, he made pioneering contributions to various fields, including mathematics, physics, engineering, and astronomy. He essentially invented the integral calculus method, which was later further developed by mathematicians such as Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

In addition to his work on calculus, Archimedes made great contributions to the study of geometry, including developing the Archimedean Spiral and various formulas for calculating areas and volumes of geometric shapes. Archimedes was also an important physicist and engineer known for his fluid dynamics and mechanics work. He is credited with discovering the principle of buoyancy, which states that the buoyant force acting on an object is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.

This principle is still used today in a variety of applications, including the design of boats, submarines, and hot air balloons. Archimedes was also an important inventor, having created a variety of machines and devices to help with engineering and warfare. His work laid the foundations for many fields of study, including calculus, physics, and engineering.

Archimedes is rightfully remembered as one of the greatest minds in the history of mathematics and science, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of researchers and scholars. Hypatia is considered to be the first female mathematician in history. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the 4th century CE, she was the daughter of Theon of Alexandria, another famous mathematician, and philosopher.

She was also an important teacher, sought out by students from all over the Mediterranean for her expertise. Hypatia was not only a talented mathematician but also a philosopher and scientist. She was well-versed in astronomy, mechanics, and philosophy and was known for her lectures and debates on these topics. Her teachings were open to all people, regardless of gender, race, or social status, and she was a strong advocate for education and intellectual freedom.

Her murder, likely instigated by political and religious tensions in Alexandria then, was a devastating loss to the scholarly community. Today, Hypatia is remembered as a groundbreaking figure in the history of mathematics and science, who defied societal expectations and achieved great intellectual heights. She paved the way for future generations of women in STEM fields, and her contributions continue to be studied and celebrated by scholars worldwide.

Muhammad Al-Khwarizmi, born in Khwarezm, a region in modern-day Uzbekistan, during the 8th century, is widely acknowledged as the Father of Algebra. He was the greatest mathematician, astronomer, and geographer of his time. In addition to his contributions to algebra, Al-Khwarizmi wrote extensively on diverse fields of mathematics, including spherical trigonometry, arithmetic, decimal fractions, and numerical methods.

His work marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Islamic Science, a period of prolific advancements in various sciences and art forms. In this book, he introduced algebraic symbols to represent unknown variables, such as x and y and provided a step-by-step method to solve mathematical equations. This innovation drastically changed how mathematics was viewed and approached, revolutionizing the field of algebra forever.

He also introduced the Arabic numeral system, a revolutionary development in mathematics that led to the creation of modern arithmetic. This system simplified arithmetic operations, which were previously difficult to perform using the Roman numeral system. He was also an accomplished astronomer whose astronomical tables laid the foundation for future scientific discoveries in the field.

His contributions significantly influenced the work of fellow mathematicians, such as the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, who continued to advance mathematics in the following centuries. His legacy continues to inspire mathematicians today, as mathematical concepts developed him are still widely used in various fields of study, such as physics, engineering, and computer science.

In conclusion, Muhammad Al-Khwarizmi, the Father of Algebra, was an exceptional mathematician whose contributions to mathematics have shaped modern algebra and paved the way for numerous advancements in diverse fields of study. His work remains essential to the understanding and application of mathematical concepts, making him an invaluable figure in the history of mathematics.

Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo of Pisa, was a great mathematician who lived in the Middle Ages and is recognized as one of the most talented in Western history. Born in Pisa, Italy, around , Fibonacci traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean world and became familiar with the mathematical systems of different cultures. His most significant contribution to mathematics was introducing the Arabic numeral system to Western Europe.

This numeral system, which uses Arabic numerals and a decimal point, revolutionized mathematical calculations, making them much simpler and more efficient. Previously, the Roman numeral system was used, which made calculations difficult and time-consuming. This book was instrumental in spreading the knowledge of this system and making it popular among merchants, bankers, and mathematicians.

It also contained numerous mathematical problems and solutions, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex algebraic equations. In addition to introducing the Arabic numeral system, Fibonacci also discovered the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. This sequence has many fascinating properties and is prevalent in nature, appearing in the growth patterns of plants and the shell structures of snails.

This ratio is believed to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and many artists and architects have incorporated it into their work. His contribution to the spread of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system revolutionized arithmetic and enabled mathematical calculations to be performed more efficiently. He also laid the foundations for modern algebra, inspiring future mathematicians to continue exploring and advancing these fields.

In conclusion, Fibonacci was a remarkably talented mathematician whose work profoundly impacted Western mathematics and science. His introduction of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and the Fibonacci sequence laid the foundation for future developments in mathematics, and his legacy continues to inspire mathematicians to this day. Johannes Kepler was a great German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer famously known for his laws of planetary motion.

This law challenged the belief that planetary orbits were circular, a significant astronomical breakthrough. This law helps to explain why planets move at varying speeds and why they seem to speed up or slow down at certain points in their orbit. This mathematical relationship describes the motion of planets in our solar system. In , Kepler observed a supernova, a massive star explosion, and studied it in great detail using a telescope.

He determined that this event was taking place outside our solar system and that there were parts of the universe beyond our starry sky. They helped pave the way for future advancements in these fields and allowed a more accurate understanding of our solar system and the cosmos. Galileo Galilei was an Italian polymath often called the father of science.

He was one of the most influential scientists! His contributions to physics, astronomy, and mathematics were groundbreaking and established him as one of the most important key figures in the scientific revolution. Ptolemy wrote one of the few surviving ancient works on astronomy — the Almagest. Aryabhata c. Aryabhata was influential in the development of trigonometry.

Khayyam wrote an influential work on algebra — Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra Leonardo Pisano Bigollo Italian mathematician. Bigollo is considered the greatest mathematician of the medieval ages. Rene Descartes — French philosopher and mathematician. Descartes made important discoveries in analytical geometry bridging algebra and geometry , calculus and other fields of mathematics.

Pierre de Fermat French lawyer and amateur mathematician. Fermat helped develop infinitesimal calculus. Blaise Pascal French mathematician, philosopher and inventor. Pascal worked on projective geometry and corresponded with Pierre de Fermat on probability theory. Sir Isaac Newton English scientist. Newton made studies in mathematics, optics, physics, and astronomy.

In his Principia Mathematica , published in , he laid the foundations for classical mechanics, explaining the law of gravity and the Laws of Motion. This guide is a starting point; don't hesitate to ask a librarian for further assistance. Ask Us! Research in Mathematics and Computer Science Mathematics is the logical study of space, number, quantity and their relationships.

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