Date
|
Name
|
Nationality
|
Major Achievements
|
35000 BC
|
African
|
First notched tally bones
|
|
3100 BC
|
Sumerian
|
Earliest documented counting and
measuring system
|
|
2700 BC
|
Egyptian
|
Earliest fully-developed base 10
number system in use
|
|
2600 BC
|
Sumerian
|
Multiplication tables, geometrical
exercises and division problems
|
|
2000-1800 BC
|
Egyptian
|
Earliest papyri showing numeration
system and basic arithmetic
|
|
1800-1600 BC
|
Babylonian
|
Clay tablets dealing with
fractions, algebra and equations
|
|
1650 BC
|
Egyptian
|
Rhind Papyrus (instruction manual
in arithmetic, geometry, unit fractions, etc)
|
|
1200 BC
|
Chinese
|
First decimal numeration system
with place value concept
|
|
1200-900 BC
|
Indian
|
Early Vedic mantras invoke powers
of ten from a hundred all the way up to a trillion
|
|
800-400 BC
|
Indian
|
“Sulba Sutra” lists several
Pythagorean triples and simplified Pythagorean theorem for the sides of a
square and a rectangle, quite accurate approximation to √2
|
|
650 BC
|
Chinese
|
Lo Shu order three (3 x 3) “magic
square” in which each row, column and diagonal sums to 15
|
|
624-546 BC
|
Thales
|
Greek
|
Early developments in geometry,
including work on similar and right triangles
|
570-495 BC
|
Greek
|
Expansion of geometry, rigorous
approach building from first principles, square and triangular numbers,
Pythagoras’ theorem
|
|
500 BC
|
Hippasus
|
Greek
|
Discovered potential existence of
irrational numbers while trying to calculate the value of √2
|
490-430 BC
|
Zeno of Elea
|
Greek
|
Describes a series of paradoxes
concerning infinity and infinitesimals
|
470-410 BC
|
Hippocrates of Chios
|
Greek
|
First systematic compilation of
geometrical knowledge, Lune of Hippocrates
|
460-370 BC
|
Democritus
|
Greek
|
Developments in geometry and
fractions, volume of a cone
|
428-348 BC
|
Greek
|
Platonic solids, statement of the
Three Classical Problems, influential teacher and popularizer of mathematics,
insistence on rigorous proof and logical methods
|
|
410-355 BC
|
Eudoxus of Cnidus
|
Greek
|
Method for rigorously proving
statements about areas and volumes by successive approximations
|
384-322 BC
|
Aristotle
|
Greek
|
Development and standardization of
logic (although not then considered part of mathematics) and deductive
reasoning
|
300 BC
|
Greek
|
Definitive statement of classical
(Euclidean) geometry, use of axioms and postulates, many formulas, proofs and
theorems including Euclid’s Theorem on infinitude of primes
|
|
287-212 BC
|
Greek
|
Formulas for areas of regular
shapes, “method of exhaustion” for approximating areas and value of π, comparison of infinities
|
|
276-195 BC
|
Eratosthenes
|
Greek
|
“Sieve of Eratosthenes” method for
identifying prime numbers
|
262-190 BC
|
Apollonius of Perga
|
Greek
|
Work on geometry, especially on
cones and conic sections (ellipse, parabola, hyperbola)
|
200 BC
|
Chinese
|
“Nine Chapters on the Mathematical
Art”, including guide to how to solve equations using sophisticated
matrix-based methods
|
|
190-120 BC
|
Hipparchus
|
Greek
|
Develop first detailed
trigonometry tables
|
36 BC
|
Mayan
|
Pre-classic Mayans developed the
concept of zero by at least this time
|
|
10-70 AD
|
Heron (or Hero) of Alexandria
|
Greek
|
Heron’s Formula for finding the
area of a triangle from its side lengths, Heron’s Method for iteratively
computing a square root
|
90-168 AD
|
Ptolemy
|
Greek/Egyptian
|
Develop even more detailed
trigonometry tables
|
200 AD
|
Sun Tzu
|
Chinese
|
First definitive statement of
Chinese Remainder Theorem
|
200 AD
|
Indian
|
Refined and perfected decimal
place value number system
|
|
200-284 AD
|
Greek
|
Diophantine Analysis of complex
algebraic problems, to find rational solutions to equations with several
unknowns
|
|
220-280 AD
|
Liu Hui
|
Chinese
|
Solved linear equations using a
matrices (similar to Gaussian elimination), leaving roots unevaluated,
calculated value of π correct to five decimal places, early forms of
integral and differential calculus
|
400 AD
|
Indian
|
“Surya Siddhanta” contains roots
of modern trigonometry, including first real use of sines, cosines, inverse
sines, tangents and secants
|
|
476-550 AD
|
Aryabhata
|
Indian
|
Definitions of trigonometric
functions, complete and accurate sine and versine tables, solutions to
simultaneous quadratic equations, accurate approximation for π (and recognition that π is an irrational number)
|
598-668 AD
|
Indian
|
Basic mathematical rules for dealing
with zero (+, - and x), negative numbers, negative roots of quadratic
equations, solution of quadratic equations with two unknowns
|
|
600-680 AD
|
Bhaskara I
|
Indian
|
First to write numbers in
Hindu-Arabic decimal system with a circle for zero, remarkably accurate
approximation of the sine function
|
780-850 AD
|
Persian
|
Advocacy of the Hindu numerals 1 -
9 and 0 in Islamic world, foundations of modern algebra, including algebraic
methods of “reduction” and “balancing”, solution of polynomial equations up
to second degree
|
|
908-946 AD
|
Ibrahim ibn Sinan
|
Arabic
|
Continued Archimedes'
investigations of areas and volumes, tangents to a circle
|
953-1029 AD
|
Muhammad Al-Karaji
|
Persian
|
First use of proof by mathematical
induction, including to prove the binomial theorem
|
966-1059 AD
|
Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen)
|
Persian/Arabic
|
Derived a formula for the sum of
fourth powers using a readily generalizable method, “Alhazen's problem”,
established beginnings of link between algebra and geometry
|
1048-1131
|
Omar Khayyam
|
Persian
|
Generalized Indian methods for
extracting square and cube roots to include fourth, fifth and higher roots,
noted existence of different sorts of cubic equations
|
1114-1185
|
Bhaskara II
|
Indian
|
Established that dividing by zero
yields infinity, found solutions to quadratic, cubic and quartic equations
(including negative and irrational solutions) and to second order Diophantine
equations, introduced some preliminary concepts of calculus
|
1170-1250
|
Italian
|
Fibonacci Sequence of numbers,
advocacy of the use of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system in Europe, Fibonacci's
identity (product of two sums of two squares is itself a sum of two squares)
|
|
1201-1274
|
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
|
Persian
|
Developed field of spherical
trigonometry, formulated law of sines for plane triangles
|
1202-1261
|
Qin Jiushao
|
Chinese
|
Solutions to quadratic, cubic and
higher power equations using a method of repeated approximations
|
1238-1298
|
Yang Hui
|
Chinese
|
Culmination of Chinese “magic”
squares, circles and triangles, Yang Hui’s Triangle (earlier version of
Pascal’s Triangle of binomial co-efficients)
|
1267-1319
|
Kamal al-Din al-Farisi
|
Persian
|
Applied theory of conic sections
to solve optical problems, explored amicable numbers, factorization and
combinatorial methods
|
1350-1425
|
Indian
|
Use of infinite series of
fractions to give an exact formula for π, sine formula and other trigonometric functions,
important step towards development of calculus
|
|
1323-1382
|
Nicole Oresme
|
French
|
System of rectangular coordinates,
such as for a time-speed-distance graph, first to use fractional exponents,
also worked on infinite series
|
1446-1517
|
Luca Pacioli
|
Italian
|
Influential book on arithmetic,
geometry and book-keeping, also introduced standard symbols for plus and
minus
|
1499-1557
|
Italian
|
Formula for solving all types of
cubic equations, involving first real use of complex numbers (combinations of
real and imaginary numbers), Tartaglia’s Triangle (earlier version of
Pascal’s Triangle)
|
|
1501-1576
|
Italian
|
Published solution of cubic and
quartic equations (by Tartaglia and Ferrari), acknowledged existence of imaginary
numbers (based on √-1)
|
|
1522-1565
|
Italian
|
Devised formula for solution of
quartic equations
|
|
1550-1617
|
John Napier
|
British
|
Invention of natural logarithms, popularized
the use of the decimal point, Napier’s Bones tool for lattice multiplication
|
1588-1648
|
Marin Mersenne
|
French
|
Clearing house for mathematical
thought during 17th Century, Mersenne primes (prime numbers that are one less
than a power of 2)
|
1591-1661
|
Girard Desargues
|
French
|
Early development of projective
geometry and “point at infinity”, perspective theorem
|
1596-1650
|
French
|
Development of Cartesian coordinates
and analytic geometry (synthesis of geometry and algebra), also credited with
the first use of superscripts for powers or exponents
|
|
1598-1647
|
Bonaventura Cavalieri
|
Italian
|
“Method of indivisibles” paved way
for the later development of infinitesimal calculus
|
1601-1665
|
French
|
Discovered many new numbers
patterns and theorems (including Little Theorem, Two-Square Thereom and Last
Theorem), greatly extending knowlege of number theory, also contributed to
probability theory
|
|
1616-1703
|
John Wallis
|
British
|
Contributed towards development of
calculus, originated idea of number line, introduced symbol ∞ for infinity,
developed standard notation for powers
|
1623-1662
|
French
|
Pioneer (with Fermat) of
probability theory, Pascal’s Triangle of binomial coefficients
|
|
1643-1727
|
British
|
Development of infinitesimal
calculus (differentiation and integration), laid ground work for almost all
of classical mechanics, generalized binomial theorem, infinite power series
|
|
1646-1716
|
German
|
Independently developed
infinitesimal calculus (his calculus notation is still used), also practical
calculating machine using binary system (forerunner of the computer), solved
linear equations using a matrix
|
|
1654-1705
|
Swiss
|
Helped to consolidate
infinitesimal calculus, developed a technique for solving separable
differential equations, added a theory of permutations and combinations to
probability theory, Bernoulli Numbers sequence, transcendental curves
|
|
1667-1748
|
Swiss
|
Further developed infinitesimal
calculus, including the “calculus of variation”, functions for curve of
fastest descent (brachistochrone) and catenary curve
|
|
1667-1754
|
Abraham de Moivre
|
French
|
De Moivre's formula, development
of analytic geometry, first statement of the formula for the normal
distribution curve, probability theory
|
1690-1764
|
Christian Goldbach
|
German
|
Goldbach Conjecture,
Goldbach-Euler Theorem on perfect powers
|
1707-1783
|
Swiss
|
Made important contributions in
almost all fields and found unexpected links between different fields, proved
numerous theorems, pioneered new methods, standardized mathematical notation
and wrote many influential textbooks
|
|
1728-1777
|
Johann Lambert
|
Swiss
|
Rigorous proof that π is irrational, introduced
hyperbolic functions into trigonometry, made conjectures on non-Euclidean
space and hyperbolic triangles
|
1736-1813
|
Joseph Louis Lagrange
|
Italian/French
|
Comprehensive treatment of
classical and celestial mechanics, calculus of variations, Lagrange’s theorem
of finite groups, four-square theorem, mean value theorem
|
1746-1818
|
Gaspard Monge
|
French
|
Inventor of descriptive geometry,
orthographic projection
|
1749-1827
|
Pierre-Simon Laplace
|
French
|
Celestial mechanics translated
geometric study of classical mechanics to one based on calculus, Bayesian
interpretation of probability, belief in scientific determinism
|
1752-1833
|
Adrien-Marie Legendre
|
French
|
Abstract algebra, mathematical
analysis, least squares method for curve-fitting and linear regression, quadratic
reciprocity law, prime number theorem, elliptic functions
|
1768-1830
|
Joseph Fourier
|
French
|
Studied periodic functions and
infinite sums in which the terms are trigonometric functions (Fourier series)
|
1777-1825
|
German
|
Pattern in occurrence of prime
numbers, construction of heptadecagon, Fundamental Theorem of Algebra,
exposition of complex numbers, least squares approximation method, Gaussian
distribution, Gaussian function, Gaussian error curve, non-Euclidean
geometry, Gaussian curvature
|
|
1789-1857
|
Augustin-Louis Cauchy
|
French
|
Early pioneer of mathematical
analysis, reformulated and proved theorems of calculus in a rigorous manner,
Cauchy's theorem (a fundamental theorem of group theory)
|
1790-1868
|
August Ferdinand Möbius
|
German
|
Möbius strip (a two-dimensional
surface with only one side), Möbius configuration, Möbius transformations,
Möbius transform (number theory), Möbius function, Möbius inversion formula
|
1791-1858
|
George Peacock
|
British
|
Inventor of symbolic algebra
(early attempt to place algebra on a strictly logical basis)
|
1791-1871
|
Charles Babbage
|
British
|
Designed a "difference
engine" that could automatically perform computations based on
instructions stored on cards or tape, forerunner of programmable computer.
|
1792-1856
|
Russian
|
Developed theory of hyperbolic
geometry and curved spaces independendly of Bolyai
|
|
1802-1829
|
Niels Henrik Abel
|
Norwegian
|
Proved impossibility of solving
quintic equations, group theory, abelian groups, abelian categories, abelian
variety
|
1802-1860
|
Hungarian
|
Explored hyperbolic geometry and
curved spaces independently of Lobachevsky
|
|
1804-1851
|
Carl Jacobi
|
German
|
Important contributions to
analysis, theory of periodic and elliptic functions, determinants and
matrices
|
1805-1865
|
William Hamilton
|
Irish
|
Theory of quaternions (first
example of a non-commutative algebra)
|
1811-1832
|
French
|
Proved that there is no general
algebraic method for solving polynomial equations of degree greater than
four, laid groundwork for abstract algebra, Galois theory, group theory, ring
theory, etc
|
|
1815-1864
|
British
|
Devised Boolean algebra (using
operators AND, OR and NOT), starting point of modern mathematical logic, led
to the development of computer science
|
|
1815-1897
|
Karl Weierstrass
|
German
|
Discovered a continuous function
with no derivative, advancements in calculus of variations, reformulated
calculus in a more rigorous fashion, pioneer in development of mathematical
analysis
|
1821-1895
|
Arthur Cayley
|
British
|
Pioneer of modern group theory,
matrix algebra, theory of higher singularities, theory of invariants, higher
dimensional geometry, extended Hamilton's quaternions to create octonions
|
1826-1866
|
German
|
Non-Euclidean elliptic geometry,
Riemann surfaces, Riemannian geometry (differential geometry in multiple
dimensions), complex manifold theory, zeta function, Riemann Hypothesis
|
|
1831-1916
|
Richard Dedekind
|
German
|
Defined some important concepts of
set theory such as similar sets and infinite sets, proposed Dedekind cut (now
a standard definition of the real numbers)
|
1834-1923
|
John Venn
|
British
|
Introduced Venn diagrams into set
theory (now a ubiquitous tool in probability, logic and statistics)
|
1842-1899
|
Marius Sophus Lie
|
Norwegian
|
Applied algebra to geometric
theory of differential equations, continuous symmetry, Lie groups of
transformations
|
1845-1918
|
German
|
Creator of set theory, rigorous
treatment of the notion of infinity and transfinite numbers, Cantor's theorem
(which implies the existence of an “infinity of infinities”)
|
|
1848-1925
|
Gottlob Frege
|
German
|
One of the founders of modern
logic, first rigorous treatment of the ideas of functions and variables in
logic, major contributor to study of the foundations of mathematics
|
1849-1925
|
Felix Klein
|
German
|
Klein bottle (a one-sided closed
surface in four-dimensional space), Erlangen Program to classify geometries
by their underlying symmetry groups, work on group theory and function theory
|
1854-1912
|
French
|
Partial solution to “three body
problem”, foundations of modern chaos theory, extended theory of mathematical
topology, Poincaré conjecture
|
|
1858-1932
|
Giuseppe Peano
|
Italian
|
Peano axioms for natural numbers,
developer of mathematical logic and set theory notation, contributed to
modern method of mathematical induction
|
1861-1947
|
British
|
Co-wrote “Principia Mathematica”
(attempt to ground mathematics on logic)
|
|
1862-1943
|
German
|
23 “Hilbert problems”, finiteness
theorem, “Entscheidungsproblem“ (decision problem), Hilbert space, developed
modern axiomatic approach to mathematics, formalism
|
|
1864-1909
|
Hermann Minkowski
|
German
|
Geometry of numbers (geometrical
method in multi-dimensional space for solving number theory problems),
Minkowski space-time
|
1872-1970
|
British
|
Russell’s paradox, co-wrote
“Principia Mathematica” (attempt to ground mathematics on logic), theory of
types
|
|
1877-1947
|
British
|
Progress toward solving Riemann hypothesis
(proved infinitely many zeroes on the critical line), encouraged new
tradition of pure mathematics in Britain, taxicab numbers
|
|
1878-1929
|
Pierre Fatou
|
French
|
Pioneer in field of complex
analytic dynamics, investigated iterative and recursive processes
|
1881-1966
|
L.E.J. Brouwer
|
Dutch
|
Proved several theorems marking
breakthroughs in topology (including fixed point theorem and topological
invariance of dimension)
|
1887-1920
|
Indian
|
Proved over 3,000 theorems,
identities and equations, including on highly composite numbers, partition
function and its asymptotics, and mock theta functions
|
|
1893-1978
|
Gaston Julia
|
French
|
Developed complex dynamics, Julia
set formula
|
1903-1957
|
John von Neumann
|
Hungarian/
American |
Pioneer of game theory, design
model for modern computer architecture, work in quantum and nuclear physics
|
1906-1978
|
Austria
|
Incompleteness theorems (there can
be solutions to mathematical problems which are true but which can never be
proved), Gödel numbering, logic and set theory
|
|
1906-1998
|
French
|
Theorems allowed connections
between algebraic geometry and number theory, Weil conjectures (partial proof
of Riemann hypothesis for local zeta functions), founding member of
influential Bourbaki group
|
|
1912-1954
|
British
|
Breaking of the German enigma
code, Turing machine (logical forerunner of computer), Turing test of
artificial intelligence
|
|
1913-1996
|
Paul Erdös
|
Hungarian
|
Set and solved many problems in
combinatorics, graph theory, number theory, classical analysis, approximation
theory, set theory and probability theory
|
1917-2008
|
Edward Lorenz
|
American
|
Pioneer in modern chaos theory,
Lorenz attractor, fractals, Lorenz oscillator, coined term “butterfly effect”
|
1919-1985
|
American
|
Work on decision problems and
Hilbert's tenth problem, Robinson hypothesis
|
|
1924-2010
|
Benoît Mandelbrot
|
French
|
Mandelbrot set fractal, computer
plottings of Mandelbrot and Julia sets
|
1928-
|
Alexander Grothendieck
|
French
|
Mathematical structuralist,
revolutionary advances in algebraic geometry, theory of schemes,
contributions to algebraic topology, number theory, category theory, etc
|
1928-
|
John Nash
|
American
|
Work in game theory, differential
geometry and partial differential equations, provided insight into complex
systems in daily life such as economics, computing and military
|
1934-2007
|
American
|
Proved that continuum hypothesis
could be both true and not true (i.e. independent from Zermelo-Fraenkel set
theory)
|
|
1937-
|
John Horton Conway
|
British
|
Important contributions to game
theory, group theory, number theory, geometry and (especially) recreational
mathematics, notably with the invention of the cellular automaton called the
"Game of Life"
|
1947-
|
Russian
|
Final proof that Hilbert’s tenth
problem is impossible (there is no general method for determining whether
Diophantine equations have a solution)
|
|
1953-
|
Andrew Wiles
|
British
|
Finally proved Fermat’s Last
Theorem for all numbers (by proving the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture for
semistable elliptic curves)
|
1966-
|
Grigori Perelman
|
Russian
|
Finally proved Poincaré Conjecture
(by proving Thurston's geometrization conjecture), contributions to
Riemannian geometry and geometric topology
|
Wednesday 30 September 2015
Chronological list mathematicians and major achievements
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