Mathematicians

 

Gotthold Eisenstein (1823-1852)

Albert Einstein (1878-1955)

Sir Isaac Newton (1642- 1727)

Mary Cartwright (1900- 1998)

 

 

 

Ferdinand Gotthold Max Eisenstein

(1823-1852)

 

Family

            Gotthold Eisenstein was born in Berlin, Germany on April 16, 1823. His dad’s name is Johan Konsantin Eisenstein. He was in the army for 8 years and quit. He tried various jobs but did not find one he liked. The end of Johan’s life went well for him. Gotthold was sick all his life. None of his 5 brothers or 5 sisters survived this sickness. Gotthold’s mother played a major role in his early education. His mother taught him the ABC’s at age two.

 

 

 

Gotthold’s Life

“As a boy of six I could understand the proof of a mathematical theorem more

readily than that meat had to be cut with one’s knife not fork.”

            This means, that he could understand math more than basic common sense.

            Gotthold played an instrument at a very young age. He played piano and composed music throughout his life. When he was in elementary school there were health problems which may have a lot to do with the school he attended. When he was ten, his parent tried to find a solution by sending him to Cauer Academy in Charlotteburg. Instead of helping his health problems it did the opposite causing Gotthold to suffer a depression. Gotthold died on October 11, 1852.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albert Einstein

(1879-1955)

 

Family

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany on March 14, 1879. His fathers name is Hermann Einstein. He was a business man, but for most of his life business was unsuccessful. His mothers name is Pauline Einstein and she was an unaccomplished musician. She played the piano and enjoyed Ludwig van Beethoven.

 

 

 

 

Albert’s Life

          Albert took violin lessons from age six all the way up to the age thirteen. He hated taking his lessons, but soon became a relaxation to him. He was taught his religious education, Judaism at home. After his religious education was taught at school he studied mathematics, in particular calculus beginning around 1891. Three years later around 1894 his family moved to Milan, but Albert stayed in Munich. In 1895 when Albert was 24 he failed an examination that would have allowed him to study for a diploma as an electrical engineer at the Eidgenőssische Technische Hochschule in Zurich. Albert died in 1955.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Isaac Newton

(1642-1727)

 

Family

Sir Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England on January 4, 1643. His fathers name was Isaac Newton, also and his mothers name was Hannah Ayscough. His father was very wealthy by his property and animals he owned he was not well educated and could not sign his own name. Sir Isaac’s dad had died 3 months before Isaac was born. Isaac’s mother remarried in 1645 to Barnabas Smith.

 

 

 

Isaac’s Life

Isaac had a hard life. Isaac did not like Barnabas, and stated the following when he was 19:

“Threatening my father and mother Smith to burn them and the house over them”

He had to live with his grandmother, Margery Ayscough in Woolsthorpe. James Ayscough, his grandfather was never mentioned by Isaac in later life and that James never left anything for Isaac in his will, made when Isaac was 10. Their was no love between the two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Cartwright

(1900-1998)

 

Family

Mary Cartwright was born on December 17th in Aynho, Northamptonshire, England. Her father was not there at the time of her birth. He was at church and he was the Vicar at Aynho.

 

 

 

Mary’s Life

When Mary was eleven she was sent away to Leamington High School, and then attending Godolphin School in Salisbury. Mary’s best subject was history, but then was encouraged in mathematics her final year. Math became the subject she would study at university. In October of 1919 Mary entered St. Hugh’s College in Oxford to study her math skills. Mary soon decided to go back to her love of history though she decided to stick with mathematics course but-

“Her decision to remain in mathematics did not diminish her interest in history. Many of her mathematical papers include historical perspectives that add an interesting dimension to her work. She wrote several biographical memoirs that portray her exceptional sense of history.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For information about mathematicians’ not shown go to http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/BiogIndex.html