Mathematician

A mathematician is a person whose area of study and research is mathematics.

History

Mathematics requires one to spend a long time just sitting and thinking to find something of a new approach. Hence, mathematicians need enough free time to pursue their interest. In fact, in history, mathematicians often come from wealthy families. "Legend says that Archimedes was part of the royal family of Syracuse. The Marquis de l'Hopital (1661-1704) was rich enough to hire Johann Bernoulli to instruct him in the new calculus that was then sweeping Europe." (Dunham, 1994) Nevertheless, there has been the occasional unwealthy, unpaid amateur mathematician who has made important contributions to the field.

Related Topics:
Archimedes - Syracuse - Marquis de l'Hopital - Johann Bernoulli - Calculus - Amateur mathematician

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