QUIZ IN HISTORY IN MATHEMATICS

1. A french magistrate that posed the questions and identified the issues that have the
shaped number theory ever since.
a. Pierre de Fermat
b. Leonhard Euler
c. Carl Friedrich Gauss
d. Adrein-Marie Legendre
2. A chinese mathematician who tackled the multiple Diophantine equations.
a. Diophantus
b. Sun Zi
c. Qin Jiushao
d. Pierre de Fermat
3. He was the most prolific mathematician ever and one of the most influential.
a. Euclid
b. Diophantus of Alexandria
c. Leonhard Euler
d. Pierre de Fermat
4. Which of the following mathematician is the author of Arithmetica?
a. Euclid
b. Diophantus of Alexandria
c. Pierre de Fermat
d. Leonhard Euler
5. It is the holy writ of number theory.
a. Euclids Elements
b. Arithmetica
c. Disquisitiones Arithmetica
d. Diophantine Equations
6. This book features a host of problems and the most significant of which is Diophantine
Equations.
a. Euclids Elements
b. Arithmetica
c. Disquisitiones Arithmeticae
d. Diophantine Equations
7. The following mathematician are inspired by Gauss in 19th Century that took up the
challenge about the number theory. Which one does not belong to the group?
a. Sophia Germain
b. Leonhard Euler
 c. Adrein-Marie Legendre
d. Peter Gustav Lejeune
8. This theorem is one of the great tools of modern number theory.
a. Chinese Remainder Theorem
b. Fermat's Little Theorem
c. Funtamental Theorem of Arithmetic
d. Unique Factorization Theorem
9. Which of the following statement is false?
a. Proposition 2 of Book VII is a procedure for findingthe lowest common
denominator of two whole numbers.
b. Proposition 20 of Book IX remains one of the most elegant proofs in all of
mathematics.
c. Book VII of Euclid Elements began definning a number as a multiple composed of
units.
d. Fundamental Theorem of arithmetic says that any whole number can be factored
into the product of primes in one and only one way.
10. What do you call to the equations whose solutions must be whole numbers?
a. Diophantine
b. Arithmetica
c. Disquisitiones
d. None of the above
11. - 15. Give atleast five prepositions of Book VII to Book IX (Number Theory).
 Famous Mathematicians

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Nationality: German, American Nationality: English
Famous For: E=m*c2 Famous For:Mathematical Principles of Natural
Albert Einstein excelled in mathematics early in his childhood. He Philosophy
liked to study math on his own. He was once quoted as saying, “I The book of Sir Isaac Newton, Mathematical Principles
never failed in mathematics…before I was fifteen I had mastered of Natural Philosophy, became the catalyst to
differential integral calculus.” understanding mechanics. He is also the person
credited for the development of the binomial theorem.

Leonardo Pisano Bigollo (1170-1250) Thales (c. 624 – c.547/546 BC)

Nationality: Italian Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Fibonacci sequence Famous For: Father of science & Thales’ theorem
Heralded as “the most talented western mathematician of the Thales used principles of mathematics, specifically
middle ages,” Leonardo Pisano Bigollo is better known as geometry, to solve everyday problems. He is considered
Fibonacci. He introduced the Arabic-Hindu number system to the as the “first true mathematician”. His deductive
western world. In his book, Liber Abaci(Book of Calculation), he reasoning principles are applied in geometry that is a
included a sequence of numbers that are known today as product of “Thales’ Theorem.”
“Fibonacci numbers.”

Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BC) René Descartes (1596-1650)

Nationality: Greek Nationality: French
Famous For: Pythagorean theorem Famous For: Cartesian coordinate system
Pythagoras is best known in mathematics for the Pythagorean The “Cartesian coordinate system” in mathematics is
Theorem. named after Rene Descartes. As a mathematician, he is
seen as the father of analytical geometry in addition to
explaining “infinitesimal calculus and analysis.”

Archimedes (c. 287 – c. 212 BC) John Forbes Nash, Jr. (1928)
Nationality: Greek Nationality: American
Famous For: Greatest mathematician of antiquity Famous For: Nash embedding theorem
Archimedes provided principles and methods used in mathematics The work of American mathematician John Nash
today. He provided the exact numerical value of pi, developed a includes studies in differential geometry, game theory,
system for large numbers to be expressed, and the method of and partial differential equations. He is best known for
exhaustion. the Nash embedding theorem. His work in algebraic
geometry is also seen as milestone in mathematics.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) Euclid (c. 365 – c. 275 BC)

Nationality: French Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Pascal’s Triangle Famous For: Father of geometry
Pascal is recognized for two mathematical areas of study, The earliest known “math books” is one written by
projective geometry and probability theory. He describes in his Greek mathematician Euclid, Elements is its title. It
paper, Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle, an easy to serve as a textbook to teach geometry and
understand table of “binomial coefficients” known as Pascal’s mathematics. His mathematical system is known as
Triangle “Euclidean geometry.”

Aryabhata (c. 476 – c. 550) Ptolemy (c. 90 – c. 168 AD)

Nationality: Indian Nationality: Greco-Roman
Famous For: Writing Āryabhaṭīya and the Arya-siddhanta Famous For: Almagest
Indian mathematician Aryabhatta’s contribution include his work Ptolemy was a mathematician of the highest order. In
on providing an approximate value to pi. He likewise touched on his book Almagest, or The Mathematical Compilation,
the concepts of sine, cosine, and the place-value system. Ptolemy provides mathematical theories related to the
solar system.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) Alan Turing (1912-1954)

Nationality: English Nationality: British
Famous For: Work on the Analytical Engine Famous For: Father of computer science
English mathematician Ada Lovelace is recognized as the worlds Turing’s fame as a mathematician can be attributed to
first computer programmer. Her mathematical skills were evident his formulating of algorithms and computations for a
at an early age. As part of her work, she produced a mathematical computer, the Turing Machine. His mathematical
algorithm that would be later used in computers. background helped device techniques in code breaking,
specifically in world war 2. In 1948 Turing became
interested in mathematical biology.

Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)

Nationality: Indian Nationality: African American
Famous For: Landau-Ramanujan constant Famous For: Calculating a solar eclipse
Ramanujan was a genius in mathematics. He helped expand Benjamin Banneker was a self-taught mathematician.
mathematical theory, particularly in continued fractions, infinite He used his mathematical skills to predict an eclipse and
series, mathematical analysis, and number theory. He conducted the seventeen-year cycle of locusts.
mathematical research in seclusion.

Omar Khayyám (1048-1131) Eratosthenes (276 – 194 BC)

Nationality: Persian Nationality: Greek
Famous For: Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra Famous For: Sieve of Eratosthenes
Omar Khayyam wrote one of the most important books in Eratosthenes provided the concept of a simple
mathematics, Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of algorithm as a way to locate prime numbers. The Sieve
Algebra from which most algebraic principles have been drawn of Eratosthenes that has been used to find prime
from. In the area of geometry, Khayyam worked on the “theory of numbers.
proportions.”

John von Neumann (1903-1957) Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665)

Nationality: Hungarian Nationality: French
Famous For: Operator theory and quantum mechanics Famous For: Fermat’s Last Theorem
The mathematical evaluation of self-replication by John von As an amateur mathematician, de Fermat is given
Neumann came before the DNA model was introduced. Other recognition for his work that has led to infinitesimal
mathematical subjects he tackled include the “mathematical calculus. He applied the use of “adequality” in
formulation of quantum mechanics”, “game theory,” explaining his mathematical constructs. De Fermat’s
mathematical statistics and mathematical economics. His also contributed to the math fields of analytic
contribution to the study of the “operator theory” is equally geometry, differential calculus, and number theory.
important.

John Napier (1550-1617) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

Nationality: Scottish Nationality: German
Famous For: Inventing “logarithms” Famous For: Infinitesimal calculus
John Napier is responsible for manufacturing logarithms. It was The work of Leibniz on infinitesimal calculus was one
also he who applied the everyday use of the decimal point in completely separate from Isaac Newton. His
mathematics and arithmetic. Napier’s bones was an abacus mathematical notation continues to be in use. He also
created by John. The device was used mainly for multiplication proposed the mathematical principle known as
problems. the Transcendental Law of Homogeneity. His refining of
the binary system has become foundational in
mathematics.
Andrew Wiles (1953) David Hilbert (1862-1943)
Nationality: Proving “Fermat’s Last Theorem” Nationality: German
Famous For: British Famous For: Hilbert’s basis theorem
Andrew Wiles was successful in proving “Fermat’s Last Theorem”. In cumulative algebra, the use of “Hilbert’s basis
He also used the “Iwasawa theory” to identify elliptic curves using theory” has produced varying results. David Hilbert
its complex multiplication system. Wiles, with a colleague, worked explored and improved on ideas such as
on rational numbers under the “Iwasawa theory”. “axiomatization of geometry” and the “invariant
theory.” Functional analysis, a branch of mathematical
analysis, is based on the formulation of “Hilbert’s
spaces theory.”

Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782) Luca Pacioli (1445-1517)

Nationality: Swiss Nationality: Italian
Famous For: Bernoulli principle Famous For: Father of accounting
Hydrodynamica by Daniel Bernoulli was a book that touched on Fifteenth century friar and mathematician Luca Pacioli
mathematical principles applied in other sciences. developed an accounting or bookkeeping methods that
are still in use today. Because of this, Pacioli is viewed
by many as the “father of accounting.”

Georg Cantor (1845-1918) George Boole (1815-1864)

Nationality: German Nationality: English
Famous For: Inventor of set theory Famous For: Boolean algebra
One of the basic theories in mathematics is the set theory, thanks George Boole and his ideas on mathematics were in the
to the work of Georg Cantor. He helped define the importance of field of algebraic logic and differential equations. He is
the “one-to-one correspondence” principle as well as introduce the source of what is known as “Boolean logic” in
cardinal and ordinal numbers. algebra. This and other mathematical concepts are part
of his bookThe Laws of Thought.

Évariste Galois (1811-1832) Sophie Germain (1776-1831)

Nationality: French Nationality: French
Famous For: Theory of Equations Famous For: Sophie Germain prime numbers
Galois worked on abstract algebra and the theory of equations. He Sophie Germain worked extensively in the
also set forth a solution to the polynomial equation which is know mathematical field of number theory and differential
as the “Galois theory.” geometry. She helped lay possible solutions to “Ferrats
Last Theorem.” Sophie’s work with number theory
earned her recognition and having numbers named
after her, “Sophie Germain prime.”