Significant Figures: Lives and Works of Trailblazing Mathematicians

Vivid accounts of the lives of 25 of the world's greatest mathematicians with clear descriptions of their far-reaching discoveries.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 02 August 2018
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Ian Stewart presents the extraordinary lives and amazing discoveries of twenty-five of history's greatest mathematicians, from Archimedes and Liu Hui to Benoit Mandelbrot and William Thurston. His subjects are the inspiring individuals from all over the world who have made crucial contributions to mathematics. They include the rediscovered geniuses Srinivasa Ramanujan and Emmy Noether, alongside the towering figures of Muhammad al-Khwarizmi (inventor of the algorithm), Pierre de Fermat, Isaac Newton, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, Bernhard Reimann (precursor to Einstein), Henri Poincaré, Ada Lovelace (arguably the first computer programmer), Kurt Gödel, and Alan Turing.

Ian Stewart's vivid accounts are fascinating in themselves and, taken together, cohere into a riveting history of key steps in the development of mathematics.

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught Indian mathematician, made groundbreaking contributions to number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. Despite his short life, his work had a profound impact on modern mathematics.

Emmy Noether, a German mathematician, was a trailblazer in abstract algebra and played a crucial role in developing the theory of algebraic structures. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Mathematics.

Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematician, invented the algorithm, a fundamental technique for solving mathematical problems. His work laid the foundation for modern computer science.

Pierre de Fermat, a French mathematician, is known for his famous "Fermat's Last Theorem," which remains unsolved to this day. His work in number theory and geometry had a profound impact on the development of mathematics.

Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician, is credited with developing the laws of motion and universal gravitation. His work revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

Carl Friedrich Gauss, a German mathematician, was a master of algebra, number theory, and geometry. He is known for his discovery of the Gauss law of magnetism and the Gauss-Jordan elimination method.

Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, a Russian mathematician, made significant contributions to geometry, topology, and analysis. He is known for his invention of non-Euclidean geometry and his theory of hyperbolic spaces.

Bernhard Reimann, a German mathematician, was a precursor to Einstein's theory of relativity. He made important contributions to number theory, complex analysis, and the Riemann hypothesis.

Henri Poincaré, a French mathematician, was a pioneer in many fields, including algebraic geometry, topology, and celestial mechanics. He is known for his work on hyperbolic surfaces and the Poincaré conjecture.

Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer, is often credited as the first computer programmer. She wrote the first machine algorithm for a primitive computer in the 1840s.

Kurt Gödel, a German mathematician, is known for his incompleteness theorems, which showed that certain mathematical statements are undecidable within a certain formal system. His work has profound implications for the foundations of mathematics.

Alan Turing, an English mathematician and computer scientist, is known for his work on cryptography, artificial intelligence, and the theory of computation. He is considered one of the founders of computer science.

These mathematicians, along with many others, have made incredible contributions to the field of mathematics, shaping our understanding of the world and inspiring future generations of mathematicians.

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a self-taught Indian mathematician, made groundbreaking contributions to number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. Despite his short life, his work had a profound impact on modern mathematics.

Emmy Noether, a German mathematician, was a trailblazer in abstract algebra and played a crucial role in developing the theory of algebraic structures. She was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Mathematics.

Muhammad al-Khwarizmi, a Persian mathematician, invented the algorithm, a fundamental technique for solving mathematical problems. His work laid the foundation for modern computer science.

Pierre de Fermat, a French mathematician, is known for his famous "Fermat's Last Theorem," which remains unsolved to this day. His work in number theory and geometry had a profound impact on the development of mathematics.

Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician, is credited with developing the laws of motion and universal gravitation. His work revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

Carl Friedrich Gauss, a German mathematician, was a master of algebra, number theory, and geometry. He is known for his discovery of the Gauss law of magnetism and the Gauss-Jordan elimination method.

Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, a Russian mathematician, made significant contributions to geometry, topology, and analysis. He is known for his invention of non-Euclidean geometry and his theory of hyperbolic spaces.

Bernhard Reimann, a German mathematician, was a precursor to Einstein's theory of relativity. He made important contributions to number theory, complex analysis, and the Riemann hypothesis.

Henri Poincaré, a French mathematician, was a pioneer in many fields, including algebraic geometry, topology, and celestial mechanics. He is known for his work on hyperbolic surfaces and the Poincaré conjecture.

Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician and writer, is often credited as the first computer programmer. She wrote the first machine algorithm for a primitive computer in the 1840s.

Kurt Gödel, a German mathematician, is known for his incompleteness theorems, which showed that certain mathematical statements are undecidable within a certain formal system. His work has profound implications for the foundations of mathematics.

Alan Turing, an English mathematician and computer scientist, is known for his work on cryptography, artificial intelligence, and the theory of computation. He is considered one of the founders of computer science.

These mathematicians, along with many others, have made incredible contributions to the field of mathematics, shaping our understanding of the world and inspiring future generations of mathematicians.

Weight: 226g
Dimension: 176 x 151 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781781254301
Edition number: Main