Meet our Mathscots
All our mathscots
Pythagoras
(c. 570 – c. 495 BC)
Pythagoras was an ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher best known for the Pythagorean theorem, which describes the relationship between the sides of a right triangle. His contributions to mathematics and philosophy laid the groundwork for Western thought and influenced countless generations of mathematicians and scientists. Famously, the Pythagoreans knew about irrational numbers.
Well, yes and no. There is no evidence that he ever existed, but there was a school of mathematicians who used his name and had some peculiar rules of conduct. See the amusing chapter in Bertrand Russell’s “History of Western Philosophy.” We celebrate Pythagoras, or the people who used his name.
Hypatia
(c. 360 – c. 415 BC)
Hypatia was a prominent mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher in ancient Alexandria, Egypt. As one of the earliest known female mathematicians, she played a significant role in preserving and advancing mathematical knowledge during her time. Hypatia’s intellectual pursuits and dedication to education made her a symbol of female empowerment and intellectual achievement in antiquity. Her murder by a mob sent shockwaves through the Roman Empire.
Archimedes
(c. 287 – c. 212 BC)
Archimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer known for his contributions to geometry, calculus, and mechanics. His discoveries, such as the principle of buoyancy and the approximation of pi, revolutionised ancient mathematics and laid the foundation for many modern scientific principles. In recent years, the study of palimpsests, it has become clear that Archimedes had worked out the integral calculus, but we had to wait for Newton and Leibniz to rediscover it in the 17th century for it to become public knowledge. It was Archimedes who proved the correctness of the formula for the surface area of a sphere in terms of its radius. He was the most celebrated streaker in history.
Mary Cartwright
(1900 – 1998)
Mary Cartwright was a pioneering British mathematician known for her work in nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory. Through her groundbreaking research, she provided key insights into the behaviour of complex systems, laying the foundation for modern chaos theory. Cartwright’s innovative contributions have had a lasting impact on mathematics and continue to inspire future generations of mathematicians. She was both the first woman to secure a first-class honours degree in mathematics at Oxford, and the first woman mathematician to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Julia Robinson
(1919 – 1985)
Julia Robinson was an American mathematician renowned for her groundbreaking contributions to Decision Theory in Number Theory. Despite facing gender discrimination and health challenges, Robinson’s perseverance led her to become the first woman President of the American Mathematical Society and the first woman mathematician elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Her work on Hilbert’s tenth problem, which eventually led to its resolution, solidified her legacy as one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century.
Emmy Noether
(1882 – 1935)
Emmy Noether was a groundbreaking mathematician whose contributions revolutionised the field of abstract algebra and theoretical physics. At the start of her career, with David Hilbert’s help she was able to work at Gottingen University despite being a woman, then a great powerhouse of mathematics and physics. She faced more discrimination when the Nazis came to power, and left for the USA where she found a warm welcome. Some would argue that she was the most important female mathematician of all time. Noether’s famous theorem, which connects symmetries in physics to conservation laws, remains a cornerstone of modern physics, highlighting her profound impact on both mathematics and science.
Hanna Neumann
(1914 – 1971)
Hanna Neumann was a German-born mathematician who made huge contributions to group theory and combinatorial group theory. She is one of the towering figures of 20th century algebra. As a student in Nazi Germany she agitated against the regime, and left in 1938. She worked in Britain for many years, and eventually moved to the Australian National University in Canberra. Her marriage to another eminent group theorist Bernhard Neumann produced the UKMT’s founding Chair of Trustees, the late Peter Neumann.
G. H. Hardy
(1877 – 1947)
G. H. Hardy was a renowned British mathematician known for his contributions to number theory and mathematical analysis. As a mentor to Srinivasa Ramanujan, Hardy played a crucial role in recognizing and nurturing Ramanujan’s extraordinary talent. Hardy’s own research and collaborations have left an indelible mark on mathematics, particularly in the areas of analytic number theory and complex analysis. His famous “A Mathematician’s Apology” could not have been more wrong about the uselessness of Number Theory, but it is worth reading, as is its preface by C. P. Snow.
Srinivasa Ramanujan
(1887 – 1920)
Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician whose genius in number theory and mathematical analysis transcended cultural and educational barriers. Despite (or perhaps because of) his lack of formal training, Ramanujan made groundbreaking discoveries, including formulas for prime numbers and infinite series, which continue to be studied and investigated today. His mathematical discoveries seem almost magical. It is thanks to Ramanujan that 1729 is called a taxicab number.
