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Posts Tagged ‘Mathematicians’

Charles Babbage: Famous mathematicians #2

Charles Babbage - Father of Computer

Charles Babbage - Father of Computer

Charles Babbage, born 26-Dec-1791 in Teignmouth, England, is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time & is called Father of the Computer for his contribution in the field of mathematics & computing, the most remarkable being ‘originating of the modern programmable computer’. Charles Babbage graduated from the Cambridge University and during his youth was selected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society at the age of 24. Babbage became the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the Cambridge University in the year 1827 and held the post for almost 12 years but never taught for most of his time was spent in research.

Babbage was a mathematician, philosopher, inventor & mechanical engineer and his uncompleted mechanisms are on display in the London Science Museum. In 1830 he published “Reflections on the Decline of Science in England”, a controversial work that resulted in the formation of the British Association for the Advancement of Science after 1 year. In 1834 Babbage published his most influential work “On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures”, in which he proposed an early form of operational research. The same year he invented the principle of the analytical engine, the forerunner of the modern electronic computer.

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Ralph Abernathy: Famous mathematicians #1

Ralph Abernathy

Ralph Abernathy

In this series of articles we will take on the famous people from all spheres of life who learned math or were instrumental in making mathematics a popular subject. Today we start with Ralph David Abernathy who not only successfully led many social activist movements but also learned & educated the masses.

Apart from being a civil rights activist in the USA and a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr, Ralph David Abernathy is also remembered as a mathematician. Born on 11-Mar-1926 in Linden, Ralph completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1950. His inclination & works helped him become a Professor of Mathematics & later the Dean of the Department of Mathematics in the Alabama State University. During his tenure as the Dean of the Department of Mathematics he also hosted a radio talk show and became the first black man in Montgomery to be on radio.

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