Here is some information about 15 Great Mathematicians in the world, adopted from the book "Mathematicians are People, too (Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians).”
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①. THALES (THAY-lezz) of Miletus (c. 636-c. 546 B.C.), one of the "Seven Wise Man" of antiquity, was the first known Greek philosopher and scientist. He is the first person with whom the use of deductive methods in mathematics is associated.
②. PYTHAGORAS (pi-THAG-uh-rus) of Samos (c. 560-c. 480 B.C) was a Greek philosopher and religius leader, responsible for important developments in the history of mathematics, astronomy, and the theory of music. Pythagoras is most famous for the theorem on right triangles that bears his name.
③. ARCHIMEDES (ar-ki-MEE-deez), 287-212 B.C., was the greatest mathematician of ancient times. He made many original contributions to geometry and laid the foundation for integral calculus. His inventions include the catapult and Archimedes' screw.
④. HYPATIA (hy-PAY-shuh), 370-415 A.D., was a brilliant Greek scholar and professor at the University of Alexandria. Known as the first woman mathematicians, she advanced the study of algebra and built scientific instruments.
⑤. JOHN NAPIER (Nay-peer), 1550-1617, was a Scottish nobleman who loved mathematics. If invented logarithms, worked in spherical trigonometry, and designed "Napier's rod," a mechanical calculating aid.
⑥. GALILEO GALILEI (gal-i-LAY-o gal-i-LAY-ee), 1564-1642, was an Italian astronomer who made a notable contribution to mathematics. He helped introduce the scientific method, which emphasizes the importance of both experiment and theory.
⑦. BLAISE PASCAL (blez pahs-KAHL), 1623-1662, was a French thinker, mathematician, and scientist. He made many invaluable contributions to mathematics and physics, and is also remembered for his religious and philosophical writings.
⑧. SIR ISAAC NEWTON, 1642-1272, an Englishman, is recognize around the world as one of the greatest figures in the history of mathematics and science. If explained the laws of motion and gravitation, made important discoveries about light and color, and developed calculus.
⑨. LEONHARD EULER (LAY-on-ard OY-ler), 1707-1783, was an energetic and productive Swiss mathematician. In spite of blindness, calculus, and topology, a branch of geometry. Much of the mathematical notation used today stems from Euler.
⑩. JOSEPH LOUIS LAGRANGE (zho-SEF loo-EE la-GRAHNZH), 1736-1813, was a French physicist and mathematician who studied number theory and calculus. A teacher, he helped found two academies of science and made important contribution to the metric system.
①①. SOPHIE GERMAIN (so-FEE zhair-MAN), 1776-1831, was a French mathematician who was particularly interested in number theory and analysis. She won an important prize for formulating a theory of how elastic surface vibrate.
①②. CARL FRIEDRICH GAUSS (KARL FREE-drick GOWS), 1777-1855, was the greatest German mathematician of the nineteenth century. He made contributions to number theory, differential geometry, and statistics. He also studied physics and astronomy, and became famous for successfully predicting the orbit of the asteroid Ceres.
①③. EVARISTE GALOIS (ay-va-REEST gahl-WAH), 1811-1832, was a French mathematician. He made major contributions to several branches of mathematics, including algebra, number theory, and group theory.
①④. AMALIE EMMY NOETHER (NUR-ter), 1882-1935, was a German mathematician whose work vitally affected the development of modern algebra.
①⑤. SRINIVASA RAMANUJAN (shree-ni-V A-sa rah-MAH-nuh-jun), 1887-1920, was an Indian mathematician who with very little education or training, made remarkable discoveries in mathematics.
RESOURCES : Reimer, L., Wilbert R. 1990. Mathematicians are People, too (Stories from the Lives of Great Mathematicians). Canada, USA: Dale Seymour Publications.
