Carl Friedrich Gauss
- Born:
- April 30, 1777, Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (now Germany)
- Died:
- February 23, 1855, Göttingen, Kingdom of Hanover (now Germany)
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist
Early Life and Education
- Demonstrated prodigious mathematical abilities from a young age.
- Received a stipend from the Duke of Brunswick to attend the Collegium Carolinum.
- Later studied at the University of Göttingen from 1795 to 1798.
Career and Major Achievements
- Published Disquisitiones Arithmeticae in 1801, a foundational work in number theory.
- Developed the method of least squares, a fundamental concept in statistics.
- Served as the director of the Göttingen Observatory from 1807 until his death.
- Made significant contributions to differential geometry, including Gauss's theorem egregium.
Notable Works
- Disquisitiones Arithmeticae (1801)
- Theoria Motus Corporum Coelestium in Sectionibus Conicis Solem Ambientium (1809)
- Disquisitiones Generales circa Superficies Curvas (1827)
Legacy and Impact
Gauss is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, with contributions spanning numerous fields and laying the groundwork for much of modern mathematics and physics.
Leonhard Euler
- Born:
- April 15, 1707, Basel, Switzerland
- Died:
- September 18, 1783, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
- Nationality:
- Swiss
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Physicist, Astronomer, Logician, Engineer
Early Life and Education
- Showed early aptitude for mathematics.
- Studied at the University of Basel under Johann Bernoulli.
- Obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in 1723.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences and the Berlin Academy.
- Made significant contributions to calculus, number theory, graph theory, and mechanics.
- Introduced much of the modern mathematical notation, including the use of f(x) for a function.
- Published over 800 papers and books during his lifetime.
Notable Works
- Mechanica (1736)
- Introductio in analysin infinitorum (1748)
- Institutiones calculi differentialis (1755)
- Institutiones calculi integralis (1768-1770)
Legacy and Impact
Euler is regarded as one of the most prolific and influential mathematicians of all time. His work continues to be essential in many areas of science and engineering.
Isaac Newton
- Born:
- January 4, 1643 (Gregorian), Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England
- Died:
- March 31, 1727, Kensington, London, England
- Nationality:
- English
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Physicist, Astronomer, Alchemist, Theologian, Author
Early Life and Education
- Attended The King's School, Grantham.
- Entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1661.
- Received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1665.
Career and Major Achievements
- Developed the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
- Invented calculus independently of Leibniz.
- Made significant contributions to optics, including the development of the reflecting telescope.
- Served as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge.
Notable Works
- Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687)
- Opticks (1704)
Legacy and Impact
Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation revolutionized our understanding of the physical world and laid the foundation for classical mechanics.
Alan Turing
- Born:
- June 23, 1912, Maida Vale, London, England
- Died:
- June 7, 1954, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Computer Scientist, Logician, Cryptanalyst, Theoretical Biologist
Early Life and Education
- Attended Sherborne School.
- Studied at King's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1934.
- Received a PhD from Princeton University in 1938.
Career and Major Achievements
- Developed the concept of the Turing machine, a theoretical model of computation.
- Played a crucial role in breaking German ciphers at Bletchley Park during World War II.
- Made pioneering contributions to the field of artificial intelligence.
Notable Works
- "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem" (1936)
- "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" (1950)
Legacy and Impact
Turing's work laid the foundations for modern computer science and artificial intelligence. His contributions to codebreaking during World War II were critical to the Allied victory. His tragic life and persecution due to his homosexuality have made him a symbol of LGBTQ+ rights.
Euclid of Alexandria
- Born:
- c. 300 BC, possibly Tyre, Lebanon or Alexandria, Egypt
- Died:
- c. 270 BC, Alexandria, Egypt
- Nationality:
- Greek
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Little is known about Euclid's early life.
- Likely studied at Plato's Academy in Athens.
Career and Major Achievements
- Taught mathematics in Alexandria.
- Authored Elements, a comprehensive treatise on geometry and number theory.
- Established a rigorous system of mathematical proofs based on axioms and postulates.
Notable Works
- Elements
- Data
- Optics
Legacy and Impact
Euclid's Elements has been the foundation of geometry education for over two millennia. His rigorous approach to mathematical reasoning has profoundly influenced the development of mathematics.
Pythagoras of Samos
- Born:
- c. 570 BC, Samos, Ancient Greece
- Died:
- c. 495 BC, Metapontum, Lucania, Ancient Greece
- Nationality:
- Greek
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Philosopher
Early Life and Education
- Traveled extensively, including to Egypt and Babylonia.
- Founded a philosophical and religious school in Croton, Magna Graecia (now Italy).
Career and Major Achievements
- Attributed with the Pythagorean theorem (though it was likely known earlier).
- Believed that numbers were the fundamental principle of the universe.
- Made contributions to the study of music theory.
Notable Works
- No writings of Pythagoras himself survive. His ideas are known through the writings of his followers.
Legacy and Impact
Pythagoras's contributions to mathematics and philosophy have had a lasting impact on Western thought. The Pythagorean theorem remains a cornerstone of geometry.
Emmy Noether
- Born:
- March 23, 1882, Erlangen, Germany
- Died:
- April 14, 1935, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Initially certified to teach French and English.
- Audited classes at the University of Erlangen before being formally admitted.
- Received her doctorate in mathematics from the University of Erlangen in 1907.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked at the University of Göttingen, initially without pay, due to her gender.
- Made groundbreaking contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics.
- Developed Noether's theorem, which connects symmetry and conservation laws.
- Fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and became a professor at Bryn Mawr College in the United States.
Notable Works
- "Invariant Variation Problems" (1918) - Presents Noether's Theorem
- Work in abstract algebra, including the theory of ideals in rings
Legacy and Impact
Noether is considered one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century. Her work revolutionized abstract algebra and had a profound impact on theoretical physics.
Andrey Kolmogorov
- Born:
- April 25, 1903, Tambov, Russia
- Died:
- October 20, 1987, Moscow, Russia
- Nationality:
- Russian (Soviet)
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Raised by his aunt in Yaroslavl.
- Showed early aptitude for mathematics.
- Studied at Moscow State University, graduating in 1925.
Career and Major Achievements
- Made significant contributions to probability theory, topology, and turbulence.
- Developed the axiomatic foundation of probability theory.
- Worked on Kolmogorov complexity, a measure of the algorithmic complexity of an object.
- Headed the mathematics department at Moscow State University for many years.
Notable Works
- Foundations of the Theory of Probability (1933)
- Contributions to Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) theory
Legacy and Impact
Kolmogorov's work transformed probability theory into a rigorous mathematical discipline and made significant contributions to several other areas of mathematics.
Srinivasa Ramanujan
- Born:
- December 22, 1887, Erode, Madras Presidency, British India
- Died:
- April 26, 1920, Kumbakonam, Madras Presidency, British India
- Nationality:
- Indian
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Largely self-taught in mathematics.
- Failed to obtain a degree due to neglecting other subjects.
Career and Major Achievements
- Sent letters detailing his mathematical discoveries to G.H. Hardy at Cambridge University.
- Hardy recognized Ramanujan's genius and invited him to Cambridge.
- Made significant contributions to number theory, including modular forms and partitions.
- Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Notable Works
- Published papers in leading mathematical journals.
- Notebooks containing thousands of theorems and formulas.
Legacy and Impact
Ramanujan's extraordinary mathematical intuition and originality have made him a legendary figure in the history of mathematics.
Grace Hopper
- Born:
- December 9, 1906, New York City, New York, United States
- Died:
- January 1, 1992, Arlington, Virginia, United States
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Computer Scientist, Mathematician, United States Navy rear admiral
Early Life and Education
- Graduated from Vassar College with a BA in mathematics and physics.
- Earned an MA and PhD in mathematics from Yale University.
Career and Major Achievements
- One of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer.
- Developed the first compiler, A-0.
- Popularized the idea of machine-independent programming languages.
- Led the development of COBOL, one of the first high-level business programming languages.
- Served in the United States Navy, retiring as a rear admiral.
Notable Works
- Extensive work on compilers and programming languages.
Legacy and Impact
Hopper's pioneering work in computer programming and compiler technology had a profound impact on the development of the computer industry. She also played a key role in the advancement of women in STEM fields.
David Hilbert
- Born:
- January 23, 1862, Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia)
- Died:
- February 14, 1943, Göttingen, Germany
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Studied at the University of Königsberg.
- Received his doctorate from the University of Königsberg in 1885.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked at the University of Göttingen, becoming one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century.
- Developed Hilbert space, a fundamental concept in functional analysis.
- Formulated Hilbert's problems, a list of 23 unsolved problems that influenced the direction of mathematical research in the 20th century.
- Made significant contributions to the foundations of mathematics.
Notable Works
- Foundations of Geometry (1899)
- Hilbert's problems
Legacy and Impact
Hilbert's work revolutionized many areas of mathematics and had a profound influence on the development of 20th-century mathematics.
Ada Lovelace
- Born:
- December 10, 1815, London, England
- Died:
- November 27, 1852, London, England
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician, Writer
Early Life and Education
- Daughter of Lord Byron.
- Educated in mathematics and science from a young age.
Career and Major Achievements
- Translated an article on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine by Italian military engineer Luigi Menabrea.
- Added extensive notes to the translation, which included what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine, making her arguably the first computer programmer.
Notable Works
- Notes on the Analytical Engine (published in 1843)
Legacy and Impact
Lovelace's notes on the Analytical Engine are considered a seminal work in the history of computing. She is recognized as a visionary who foresaw the potential of computers beyond mere calculation.
Benoit Mandelbrot
- Born:
- November 20, 1924, Warsaw, Poland
- Died:
- October 14, 2010, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Nationality:
- French-American-Polish
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Family emigrated to France in 1936.
- Studied at the École Polytechnique and the California Institute of Technology.
Career and Major Achievements
- Developed the concept of fractals and fractal geometry.
- Showed how fractals could be used to model irregular shapes and patterns in nature.
- Worked at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center for many years.
Notable Works
- The Fractal Geometry of Nature (1982)
Legacy and Impact
Mandelbrot's work on fractals has had a profound impact on mathematics, science, and art. Fractals are now used in a wide range of applications, from computer graphics to finance.
Katherine Johnson
- Born:
- August 26, 1918, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, United States
- Died:
- February 24, 2020, Newport News, Virginia, United States
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Mathematician
Early Life and Education
- Demonstrated exceptional mathematical abilities from a young age.
- Graduated from West Virginia State College summa cum laude.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a "human computer" at NASA (formerly NACA).
- Calculated trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths for NASA's early spaceflights, including the Friendship 7 mission of John Glenn.
- Her work was crucial to the success of the Apollo program.
Notable Works
- Co-authored a paper on orbital flight calculations.
Legacy and Impact
Johnson's contributions to NASA's space program were essential to the success of the early spaceflights. Her story has inspired generations and highlighted the contributions of African American women in STEM fields. The lives of these 15 mathematicians and their autobiography example has given way to a deeper understanding of their work.