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Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.) made many contributions to the field of
mathematics. He calculated a good approximation for pi, the constant
used to find the area of a circle. He calculated the volume of a
sphere, found approximate values of square roots, and invented a
system for expressing large numbers. He also invented many different
types of machines. He is regarded by many as the greatest
mathematician and scientist of antiquity.
What do modern-day mathematicians study?
David Harold Blackwell
(1919- )
Game theory is a type of math used to study how groups of people
interact. It can be applied to games, economics, or military
decisions. American mathematician David Harold Blackwell developed a
proof in game theory that connected the mathematical fields of game
theory and topology.
Cathleen Synge Morawetz
(1923- )
Mathematics is often called the language of science. Canadian
mathematician Cathleen Synge Morawetz used math to study the flow of
air over an airplane wing. Later in her career, she studied sound
waves and shock waves, again using math to describe scientific
phenomena.
Andrew Wiles
(1953- )
Mathematicians sometimes work to solve long-standing math problems.
British mathematician Andrew Wiles worked for seven years to solve
Fermat's Last Theorem, which had eluded mathematicians for more than
three centuries. Wiles doesn't believe that Fermat himself ever had
a proof for the theorem.
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