Mathematics is a field that many people avoid. It has tricky formulas, and the overall concepts can be far too complicated for an average mind. In fact, many people see mathematicians as an odd bunch of people. However, there had been quite a few fascinating mathematicians in history who were passionate about numbers, measurements, and discovering new numerical equations. They tried to understand the secrets of the world through numbers, and their contributions are one of the leading causes we see the world the way it is today. In this article, we will discuss some interesting facts about mathematicians. You can read through the list to learn about how these people used their great minds to make the world a better place.
Leonhard Euler
Euler is regarded as the greatest mathematician in history. In his days, his genius was on par with Einstein’s. His significant contributions include shorthand trigonometric functions, the Greek letter Sigma for summation, the letter ‘i’ for imaginary units, and the concept of a mathematical function (written as f(x)), along with many others.
Additionally, he contributed toward the development of calculus, topology, graph theory, and much, much more. It’s his contributions that paved the way for modern mathematics and all its discoveries.
In mathematicians’ world, he is regarded as the King of Mathematics.
G.F. Bernhard Riemann
G.F. Bernhard Riemann is one of the most prominent mathematicians of the 19th century. Born in 1826 in Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, Bernhard has many mathematical discoveries bearing his name. Riemann Integral, Riemannian Geometry, and Riemann Hypothesis are to name a few.
In fact, the Riemann Hypothesis is perhaps his most interesting contribution to the subject. This hypothesis is an extremely complex problem. It involves the distribution of prime numbers which has baffled many great mathematicians.
It remains one of the most significant open questions in modern science. Clay Maths Institute has offered a prize of USD 1 million for proof.
Andrew Wiles
When discussing interesting facts about mathematicians, not mentioning Andrew Wiles would be unjust.
Wiles is most famous for Fermat’s Last Theorem. The theorem suggests that no positive integers x, y, and z can satisfy the equation x^n + y^n = z^n for n > 2; which basically means it is only true for Pythagoras Formula.
Besides, Wiles is famous for his extreme dedication to math. It is said that he once shut himself away for seven years to find a solution. And when it was found that there was an error in the solution, he quite literally shut himself away for another year to eliminate the mistakes.
Carl Friedrich Gauss
If Euler is the King of Mathematics, then Gauss is the Prince of Mathematics.
Gauss is famous for his outstanding mental ability and is the last one in our list of interesting facts about mathematicians. It is said that when he was in primary school, he had invented a clever trick which enabled him to add numbers from 1 to 100 within seconds.
Throughout his life, he made notable contributions in the realms of physics and mathematics. Some of his vital contributions include Number Theory, Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, and Gaussian Gravitational Constant in physics. Needless to say, he continued making valuable discoveries until his death at the age of 77.
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