MATHEMATICIANS FOR TEST 4
Edward A. Bouchet (1852-1918)
Bouchet was the first black man to attend and graduate from Yale University; the first elected to
Phi Beta Kappa (the oldest collegiate honor society); the first (in 1876) to earn a doctoral degree.
Dr. Bouchet moved to Philadelphia and spent 26 years teaching physics, chemistry, and
mathematics at the Institute for Colored Youth (now known as Cheyney State College).
Charlotte Angas Scott (1858-1931)
Born in England, Scott attended Girton College of Cambridge University at a time when women
were barred from receiving degrees. She took the exams "informally" and won eighth place in
math, a field "too difficult for women." She received her doctoral degree from the University of
London and was called to the United States to become the only woman on the founding faculty of
Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Her contributions were in the field of analytic geometry.
David Hilbert (1862 - 1943)
Hilbert ranks as the greatest mathematician of the first half of the 20th century. At an
international mathematics conference at Paris in 1901, Hilbert outlined 23 problems (now known
as Hilbert's Problems) which have been influential in shaping the course of mathematical
research. More than half of the 23 problems have been solved. Julia Robinson solved #10.
Hilbert was born in Konigsberg.
Bertrand Russell ( 1872 - 1970)
Although primarily a philosopher, Russell co-authored with Alfred North Whitehead Principia
Mathematica. The goal of this book was to establish all of mathematics solely through deductive
logic.
Godfrey Harold Hardy (1877 - 1947)
An English mathematician, Hardy was the premier number theorist of recent times. He gave a
partial solution to a problem of Riemann that was among Hilbert's 23 problems - the general
problem is still open. He is best known outside of mathematical circles for his book A
Mathematician's Apology.
Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 - 1920)
Although he lacked formal training in mathematics, Ramanujan astounded the mathematical world
by his deep insights into the intuitive relationships between numbers. After being "discovered"
by G. H. Hardy in 1913, Ramanujan spent five years at Cambridge where his chief responsibility
was to submit quarterly reports on his research.
R. A. Fisher (1890-1962)
One of the most influential personalities in the development of statistics was Sir Ronald A. Fisher,
a British geneticist and statistician. He introduced the idea of selecting plots of soil used in testing
the effects of various fertilizers on plant growth by a random process and showed how to correctly
compare results from such randomized experiments. His books and papers did much to shape
statistics into an organized science.
John von Neumann (1903-1957)
A Hungarian mathematician, von Neumann is responsible for the concept of a stored program
digital computer. His studies of the human brain and of logic proved useful in his researches on
the development of the computer. He did much toward developing a great deal of
twentieth-century mathematics in the fields of operator theory, quantum theory, and game theory.
He died of cancer in 1957.
Julia Robinson (1919-1985)
After solving Hilbert’s tenth problem in 1970, Julia Robinson was made a member of the
National Academy of Sciences as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was
awarded the rank of Professor at UC Berkeley. She served as President of the American
Mathematical Society.
Ronald Graham (1935 - )
Graham was head of AT&T Mathematical Research Center in Murray Hill, New Jersey, where he
worked from 1963 to 1999. He later joined the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering at UCSD in LaJolla, CA. His interest in applied mathematics include graph theory,
combinatorics and computer science. He appears in the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the
creator of the highest number ever used in a mathematical proof!Graham is a past president of both
the American Mathematics Society and the International Juggler's Society. He is also has worked
as a professional trampolinist.
His undergraduate degree is from the University of Alaska in physics, his PhD from the University
of California, Berkeley.