Greatest

Mathematicians
over
Time

Its
always
difficult
to
imagine
the
explanation
for
natural
phenomena.
The
literature
is
sparse
and
rarely
can
help.
Thus,
its
all
the
more
remarkable
when
someone
presents
a
cogent,
well
thought
out
and
complete
explanation
for
a
phenomena
that
mankind
never
bothered
to
question
before.

Whats
fascinating
is
that
humans
have
the
capacity
to
ask
questions
about
their
surroundings.
Some
are
obvious
but
by
no
means
easy:
1. Is
the
earth
the
center
of
the
universe.
Scientists
like
Kepler,
Galileo
suffered
dearly
for
thinking
otherwise
even
though
they
presented
irrefutable
evidence.
2. Why
does
a
rock
sink
but
a
ship
holding
100s
of
people
float.
Archimedes
explanation
is
a
tribute
to
the
analytical
way
to
approach
such
problems.

However,
these
phenomenon
were
part
of
everyday
experience.
So,
in
a
sense,
the
problems
were
in
plain
sight.
But,
there
are
several
others
that
were
invisible.
These
are
some
of
them:

Here
are
some
of
them
together
with
what
they
did.

Archimedes
His
analysis
of
why
boats
float
is
breathtaking
in
its
appeal
to
logic.
Also,
his
presentation
of
the
Law
of
the
Levers
is
an
outstanding
example
of
clear
and
precise
thinking.

Godel:
He
gave
the
world
the
incompleteness
proof.
That
is,
there
are
some
systems
in
which
statements
are
true,
but
which
cannot
be
proved.
This
is
an
artifact
of
the
mathematical
principles
that
man
developed.
And,
the
results
were
so
bizarre
that
it
took
genius
just
to
recognize
the
question.
Godel
not
only
formulated
the
question,
he
provided
a
convincing
explanation.

Galois:
He
gave
us
a
new
way
at
looking
at
the
solvability
of
equations.
Specifically,
he
showed
that
polynomials
of
degree
5
or
greater
cannot
be
solved
in
radicals.
The
most
puzzling
thing
about
this
is
why
5?
What's
so
special
about
5?

Isaac
Newton
Discovery
that
the
force
that
attracts
an
apple
to
the
ground
is
the
same

one
that
causes
planets
to
orbit
the
sun.
This
observation
is
not
obvious

one
is
celestial
while
the
other
is
a
common
everyday
occurrence.

Gelfand:
Fine
Russian
Mathematician.
His
books
are
a
delight
to
read.
He
looks
at
simple
problems
but
for
which
simple
approaches
will
not
work.

Galileo
Discovery
that
different
objects
thrown
from
the
same
height
will
reach
the
ground
at
the
same
time.
This
observation
is
highly
counterintuitive.
Most
poeple
would
reason
that
the
heavier
object
falls
to
the
ground
earlier.
This
observation
is
incorrect.
The
heavier
object
falls
with
greater
force,
but
doesn't
fall
earlier.

Albert
Einstein
Discovery
that
nothing
can
travel
faster
than
the
speed
of
light.
Again,
most
people
would
equate
their
everyday
experience
about
jumping
off
moving
trains
and
conclude
that
a
light
beam
emitted
from
a
rocket
would
travel
faster
than
one
emitted
from
the
ground.
But,
Einstein
observed
that
light
is
an
electromagnetic
phenomena

a
moving
electric
field
causes
a
moving
magnetic
field
which
in
turn
causes
a
moving
electric
field.
This
process
is
selfsustaining
and
doesn't
need
any
outside
help
(like
a
moving
train)
to
keep
it
going.