Guardian's List of Best Mathematicians

A couple of weeks ago, Alex Bellos put together this interesting list of mathematicians whose works he considered revolutionary. I notice that the list is merely placed in a chronological order but its contents are still interesting for a number of reasons. First is the fact that Pythagoras is recognized as one of the earliest mathematicians whose discoveries are still relevant and recognizable for students in formative school years in spite of the fact that most of his papers were lost and none is available for study today.

Secondly, it is noteworthy that the list has included a woman who would be recognized perhaps by only students of history of science or pure mathematicians. Political correctness aside, it is essential that the role that women have played in development of higher order thought be acknowledged purely as a matter of historical record. Hypatia is worthy of being on the list.

Thirdly, I recognize a good number of contemporary mathematicians starting with Paul Erdos and Georg Cantor whose works would be readily available today even if a very small number would be able to plough through them. Unsurprisingly, Grisha Perelman is on the list and I am sure that his recent contributions and reaction to certain awards ensure that he will be in many lists for a long time.

Asking myself who I would add to the list makes a number of names run through my mind. Among them is Teano, who was Pythagoras' wife and co-thinker in the academy. More recently, I would highly consider John Nash Jr. and his colleague John Von Neumann who made the subject of game theory an important part of modern thinking and scholarship.