Mathematics dates back to prehistoric times, pre-dating any written records. Evidence from Sumerian cities (the earliest known civilizations) shows that over 5,000 years ago, clay tablets were used by scribes for book-keeping, but we can deduce that maths was around long before then, even if people living in those times didn’t know it. 

For example, the hunter/gatherer culture which was around 12,000 years ago followed the ideology that when you hunted food, it would be distributed between your family; the earliest example of division and subtraction. 

Mathematics has come a long way since then, with many influential figures paving the way for those who would come after and be inspired by their work. Whether you have an interest in the subject or not, maths affects everyone and each of our day-to-day lives. 

To help best understand the impact mathematicians have on our lives and how the subject has developed and grown over time, we have come up with a list of the most famous mathematicians over history and the impact they have had on our lives today. 

Top 10 most famous mathematicians

Isaac Newton

The first famous mathematician on our list is, of course, Isaac Newton. Known for his ground-breaking work in science and mathematics - I’m sure I’m not the only child who got told the story of the apple falling from a tree and hitting Newton on his head - Isaac Newton was born in 1643 in England and is arguably one of the most famous mathematicians of all time. 

In mathematics, Newton was the original discoverer of the infinitesimal calculus This, in layman’s terms, refers to any quantity that is so infinitely small it is actually unmeasurable. Infinitesimal is nonzero in size, which means it isn’t exactly zero, but is too small to measure - sounds pretty complicated, right? But this initial discovery found by Newton is what has paved the way we have studied numbers and calculus since. 

Marjorie Lee Browne

Born in 1914, Marjorie Lee Browne became one of the first Black women ever to get a PhD in the USA in a time of racial tension and gender bias, subsequently inspiring generations of Black women to pursue a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Browne recognised the importance of education for all, and spent most of her life teaching Maths at North Carolina Central University and her summers with teachers, passing on her complex knowledge of mathematics to aspiring young minds. 

When she wasn’t teaching, Browne’s work in mathematics focused primarily on topology, which is the analysis of the properties of geometric shapes. When Browne reflected on her life before passing away in 1979, she said “If I had to live my life again, I wouldn’t do anything else. I love mathematics.” This incredible mathematician inspired and paved the way for countless Black women to follow their dreams of a career in maths, Browne showed them it was possible. 

Carl Friedrich Gauss

Regarded by many as the best mathematician of all time, Gauss contributed to the subject through his research into number theory, geometry and probability theory (among many other topics). He drafted his most influential writing at just 21 years old and his findings were so poignant that it  still defines number theory to this day. 

Alongside this, Gauss was the first mathematician to create the first 17 side heptadecagon and was the first to prove the laws of quadratic reciprocity. The law of quadratic reciprocity can be used to tell whether any quadratic equation modulo a prime number has a solution. This is used frequently in cryptography and computer security. Gauss’ contributions to mathematics as well as physics and astronomy are as relevant today as when they were discovered in the 18th century. 

Pythagoras

Pythagoras is definitely one of the most famous mathematicians in history and is the name on this list that I am most familiar with - is anyone else getting flashbacks to their maths class? Pythagoras was an Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician whose teachings not only influenced philosophers like Aristotle and Plato but also has teachings which are still relevant and taught today. 

Pythagoras theorem, put simply, is the idea that of a right-angled triangle, the two shorter sides added together will be the same as the longest side; A2+B2=C2. Pythagoras’ theorem is used today to calculate any missing distance connecting two points, as well as being a key topic on the GCSE maths syllabi across schools in the UK. 

Dame Mary Lucy Cartwright

Dame Mary Lucy Cartwright is another one of my favourites on this top 10 most famous mathematicians list. A British mathematician and born in 1900, Cartwright was the first female mathematician to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of England. 

Her work focused primarily on analytic function theory which is one of the most major theories in mathematics and plays an important role in finding the solution for two-dimensional problems in mathematical physics. Alongside this work, Cartwright also published hundreds of papers over the course of her career, which subsequently led to the development of what is now known as “chaos theory”. This is the study of apparently random or unpredictable behaviour in systems as governed by deterministic laws. 

Cartwright's work was not only influential to many mathematicians and furthered the study of topics within the subject, but as a woman in STEM, she has inspired generations of women to pursue careers in maths. 

Alan Turing

You might already be familiar with Alan Turing from watching The Imitation Game, which definitely made Turing one of the most famous mathematicians in history and popular culture. Turing’s most well known work are his contributions during World War II and the innovative code-breaking technology he helped to invent. 

During the war, German forces used a code called ‘Enigma’ to communicate to naval ships. Using cryptanalytic technology which Turing called ‘Banburismus,’ Turing and his team were able to crack the code which helped British forces prevent naval attacks from the Atlantic. 

Albert Einstein 

Einstein is best known for his contributions to science, with his work on the theory of relativity and the laws of physics still used in contemporary teaching today. However his work towards the advancement of mathematics was just as influential and nicely marries with his work in physics.

Within the general theory of relativity, Einstein discovered field equations that relate the geometry of spacetime to the distribution of matter within it. There are a total of ten equations referred to as “Einstein’s Field Equations” and each helped make the world of both physics and mathematics. 

Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson, an American mathematician born in 1918, was instrumental in the success of the first and subsequent US crewed spaceflights. Not only this, she was also the one of the first Black women to work at NASA, subsequently defying stereotypes and becoming an inspiration to many. Barack Obama spoke of Johnson and how she “refused to be limited by society’s expectations of her gender and race while expanding the boundaries of humanity’s reach.” 

Johnson calculated trajectories, launch windows and emergency return paths for USA spaceflights, including those for the first American in space (Alan Shepard) and the first American in orbit (John Glenn) as well as safely landing the first shuttle on the moon. For all her work, Johnson won the Hubbard medal for her work that made space exploration possible. 

Archimedes

Archimedes, like Pythagoras, was another Ancient Greek mathematician and has been described as the greatest mathematician of his time. His contributions to geometry revolutionised the subject and anticipated integral calculus. 

Integral calculus is a branch of mathematics concerned with the theory and applications of integrals and integrations. To break this down a bit further, an integral is either a numerical value equal to the area under the graph of a function for some interval, or a new function. 

None of our work today on integral calculus would be possible without Archimedes’ work over 2,000 years ago. 

Sofia Kovalevskaya

Sofia Kovalevskaya was a mathematician, born in 1850 in Moscow, Russia. Her contributions to the subject make her a worthy candidate for the top 10 most famous mathematicians of all time. She was the first woman in Europe to gain a doctorate in maths, the first woman to join the editorial board of a scientific journal and the first woman to be appointed professor of mathematics in the world. Wow.

Kovalevskaya’s contributions to mathematics were in the areas of analysis, differential equations and mechanics. She focused much of her career on both teaching and research around mathematics and is fondly remembered for her incredible efforts to pave the way for women in STEM. She is by far one of the most incredible women in mathematics history, a woman of many ‘firsts’ and an inspiration to many generations. 

Summary

At Melio, our mathematics courses are one of our most popular with all age groups. If you already love the subject and want to deepen your knowledge, or you’re new to the world of mathematics and want to know more, choosing a Melio course will give you the insight and head start you’re looking for. 

Academic Online Courses in Mathematics run for two weeks, making them perfect to complete over a school holiday or half term. On this course you will work alongside other like-minded students from around the world in group sizes of up to 8, with one of our expert tutors who will teach you using the Oxford Tutorial method which encourages an open channel of communication between student and tutor. 

This course is perfect for those of you who thrive working with other students, being able to discuss ideas and learn from others while also being able to learn and receive feedback from one of our world class tutors. 

Alternatively, our most bespoke course are our One-on-One Mathematics Tutorials, which are available to students in hourly sessions (starting at 10) with one of our expert tutors that has been chosen specifically for you based on your learning style. Students on this course are able to choose when they complete their tutorial session, meaning this course fits around your school and other extracurricular activities. Our tutorials are perfect for students who have specific topics they would like to cover with their tutor or have a particular style of learning they respond best to. 

For more information on our courses available and how you can start your mathematics journey today, visit our website or contact our admissions team.