Five famous mathematicians biography

Mathematics is a fascinating field that shapes the world around us, from the technology we use every day to the mysteries of the universe. At the heart of these discoveries are famous mathematicians whose brilliant minds and groundbreaking work have made a lasting impact. This blog will explore 15 remarkable individuals and delve into their contributions.

1. Euclid

Year: Active around 300 BC

Euclid is one of the most famous mathematicians in geometry, often hailed as the “Father of Geometry.” His systematic approach to geometry set the stage for what would become modern geometry.

Contribution: Euclid’s most significant work, “Elements,” is a comprehensive compilation of the knowledge of geometry of his time. It has served as a foundational textbook in the subject for centuries.

Fun Fact: Despite his immense influence, little is known about Euclid’s life. His work, however, has made him one of the most well-known mathematicians in history.

2. Archimedes

Year: c. 287–212 BC

Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer. He is known for his deep contributions to the understanding of the physical world and mathematical theorems.

Contribution: Among his many contributions, the most famous is Archimedes’ Principle, which explains the theory of buoyancy. He also made significant advances in geometry, including the method of exhaustion for calculating areas and volumes.

Fun Fact: Archimedes is said to have discovered his principle of buoyancy while taking a bath and ran through the streets naked, excitedly shouting, “Eureka!” (I have found it!).

3. Pythagoras

Year: c. 570–495

Some great mathematicians have long been household names - Archimedes, Isaac Newton. Some have recently come to fame in movies and on TV - Pierre de Fermat, Alan Turing, Srinivasa Ramanujan.

And some... well, you might have heard of them, but most of us haven’t. Without those unheralded significant figures, however, today’s world would have been very different...

Born: c. 780, Khwarazm, Persia

Died: c. 850

In AD 800 Caliph Harun al-Rashid founded the House of Wisdom, a library in which writings from other cultures were translated into Arabic. Baghdad became a centre for science and trade. Among its scholars was Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, born in what is now Uzebekistan, author of two of history’s great mathematical bestsellers.

On Calculation With Hindu Numerals was a popular maths book written at the behest of al-Rashid’s son and successor al-Ma’mun. Its Latin translation awoke Mediaeval Europe to an amazing new way to do arithmetic using just ten number symbols. In Latin, his name became ‘Algoritmi’ and his systematic calculating procedures were called algorisms — later, algorithms.

Read more:

Embodied in computer software, algorithms now run the planet. They post cute cat videos to the Internet, calculate your credit rating, decide which books to try to sell you, and help criminals steal your online banking password.

His second masterpiece was al-Kitab al-mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wal-muqabala — The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing. Al-jabr, Latinised to ‘algebra’, became a word in its own right. Al-Khwarizmi didn’t use symbols, but he focused on how to manipulate algebraic expressions in their own right, rather than thinking of the numbers they represent.

Born: Nizhny-Novgorod, Russia, 1 December 1792.

Died: Kazan, Russia, 24 February 1856

Lobachevsky taught us that Euclid’s geometry

Brahmagupta (598-668 CE) 

Brahmagupta’s work comprised of the rules to compute with zero. It was traditionally used as a place holder. He also wrote some important works on astronomy alongside mathematics. The seventh-century Indian mathematician showcased examples such as how to find the cube and cube-root of an integer and gave rules regarding squares and square roots. Read more.

Isaac Newton (1643- 1727)

Isaac Newton is perhaps most well-known for his legend on developing the universal laws of gravity. It is known that a young Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he was struck on the head by a fruit. This lead to his crucible moment, to develop some of the most important principles of modern physics. He is also renowned for his discovery of calculus, and binomial theorem. This in large has been used to work out the probability of things through statistics. Read more.

Diophantus (AD 285 and 299)

Diophantus is sometimes called “the father of algebra” and developed theories on numbers and solving equations. ‘Arithmetica’ is a major work of Diophantus, and inspired some of the world’s greatest mathematicians including Leonhard Euler and Pierre de Fermat to make significant new discoveries. Read more.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)

English mathematician, Ada Lovelace is recognised as the world’s first computer programmer. Her mathematical skills were evident at an early age. She introduced many computer concepts. Read more.

Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662)

Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist. He co

Introduction

Being a mathematician is hard. Only a few people have mastered this subject and achieved fame. Of those, there have been some famous Indian mathematicians. In this article, we will discuss some of the famous mathematicians and their contributions to Mathematics.

Riddles about famous Mathematicians 

Here is a PDF that consists of riddles about famous mathematicians. Click on the download button to solve them.

15 Famous Mathematicians and Their Contributions

1. Euclid

Euclid was one among the famous mathematicians, and he was known as the ‘Father of Geometry.’ His famous Geometry contribution is referred to as the Euclidean geometry, which is there in the Geometry chapter of class IX. He spent all his life working for mathematics and set a revolutionary contribution to Geometry. 

2. Pythagoras

‘Pythagoras theorem’ is very popular and an important mathematical formula to solve mathematical problems. Since childhood, all of us have struggled to solve mathematical problems applying the Pythagoras theorem. Pythagoras discovered this prominent theorem and he became the father of ‘Pythagoras theorem.’ Pythagoras was from Greece, but he fled off to India in the latter part of his life.

3. Archimedes

Archimedes was a Greek Scientist, a great mathematician, and a Physician. He also worked his entire life in search of discovering mathematical formulas that are related to Physics. The best contribution of Archimedes in mathematics is known as the invention of compound pulleys, antiquity, and screw pump. Students of class X have to study these chapters of compound pulleys and antiquity.

4. Thales of Miletus

Thales of Miletus was one of the most famous mathematicians from Greece. He was very skilled in Ge