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 mathematics…before 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)
Nationality: Italian
Famous For: Fibonacci sequence
Heralded as “the most talented western mathematician of the middle
ages,” Leonardo Pisano Bigollo is better known as Fibonacci. He
introduced the Arabic-Hindu number system to the western world. In
his book, Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation), he included a sequence of
numbers that are known today as “Fibonacci numbers.”
 Thales (c. 624 – c.547/546 BC)
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Father of science & Thales’ theorem
Thales used principles of mathematics, specifically geometry, to solve
everyday problems. He is considered as the “first true mathematician”.
His deductive reasoning principles are applied in geometry that is a
product of “Thales’ Theorem.”
 Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BC)
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Pythagorean theorem
Pythagoras is best known in mathematics for the Pythagorean
Theorem.
 René Descartes (1596-1650)
Nationality: French
Famous For: Cartesian coordinate system
The “Cartesian coordinate system” in mathematics is named 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)
Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Greatest mathematician of antiquity
Archimedes provided principles and methods used in mathematics
today. He provided the exact numerical value of pi, developed a
system for large numbers to be expressed, and the method of
exhaustion.
 Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Nationality: French
Famous For: Pascal’s Triangle
Pascal is recognized for two mathematical areas of study, projective
geometry and probability theory. He describes in his paper, Treatise on
the Arithmetical Triangle, an easy to understand table of “binomial
coefficients” known as Pascal’s Triangle
 Ptolemy (c. 90 – c. 168 AD)
Nationality: Greco-Roman
Famous For: Almagest
Ptolemy was a mathematician of the highest order. In his book
Almagest, or The Mathematical Compilation, Ptolemy provides
mathematical theories related to the solar system.
 Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665)
Nationality: French
Famous For: Fermat’s Last Theorem
As an amateur mathematician, de Fermat is given recognition for his
work that has led to infinitesimal calculus. He applied the use of
“adequality” in explaining his mathematical constructs. De Fermat’s
also contributed to the math fields of analytic geometry, differential
calculus, and number theory.