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11 Inspiring Growth Mindset Quotes for All Ages

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11 Inspiring Growth Mindset Quotes for All Ages

11 Inspiring Growth Mindset Quotes for All Ages

The Best Quotes About Growth Mindset of All Time

Looking for inspirational growth mindset quotes? (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Are you looking for a collection of the top 11 quotes about growth mindset?

If so, you’re in the right place. This post shares 11 of the most inspiring growth mindset quotes of all time, many of which you will inspire you to take on new challenges and to learn new things.

With a growth mindset for learning you view mistakes as learning opportunities, persevere through challenges, and value personal growth over end results. But nurturing a growth mindset takes time and consuming the right types of messages on a consistent basis is a great strategy for keeping you on the right path.

 
 

One great way to keep yourself motivated along your journey of developing a growth mindset is to have access to inspirational growth mindset quotes from successful individuals whom you admire. These role models can help you to see the power of developing a growth mindset for learning and how long-term success often depends on one’s ability to learn from their mistakes and embrace challenges head-on.

Below you will find 10 of our favorite quotes about growth mindset. This collection of growth mindset quotes features men and women from a variety of backgrounds and careers, so you will surely find a few that will be inspirational and motivational.

11 Inspirational Growth Mindset Quotes

Quotes about Growth Mindset #1: Carol Dweck

The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset.

-Carol Dweck

The first entry on our list of growth mindset quotes comes Stanford professor and growth mindset pioneer Carol Dweck. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #2: Albert Einstein

It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.

-Albert Einstein

The second entry on our list of growth mindset quotes comes from the great Albert Einstein. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #3: Oprah Winfrey

I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint, and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.

-Oprah Winfrey

Our third inspirational growth mindset quote comes from Oprah Winfrey. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #4: Michael Jordan

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.

-Michael Jordan

This growth mindset quote from Michael Jordan is one of the best of all time! (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #5: Steve Jobs

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

-Steve Jobs

Our next growth mindset quote comes from Apple Cofounder Steve Jobs. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #6: Bruce Lee

Persistence, persistence, and persistence. The Power can be created and maintained through daily practice—continuous effort.

-Bruce Lee

Our sixth inspirational growth mindset quote comes from martial artist Bruce Lee. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #7: Thomas Edison

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

– Thomas Edison

This inspirational growth mindset quote is by inventor Thomas Edison. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Looking for inspirational Growth Mindset Quotes to share with your kids?

Access over one hundred printable Growth Mindset quote posters for your classroom in our brand new PDF eBook!

Quotes about Growth Mindset #8: Ariana Grande

Learn from your mistakes. Take responsibility and forgive yourself.

-Ariana Grande

(Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #9: Pele

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.

–Pele

One of the best quotes about growth mindset comes from the great Pele. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #10: Lebron James

You can't be afraid to fail. It's the only way you succeed. You're not gonna' succeed all the time and I know that.

-Lebron James

One of our top growth mindset quotes comes from Lebron James. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Quotes about Growth Mindset #11: Mark Twain

 Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did. So… sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover.

– Mark Twain

Our final growth mindset quote comes from famous American author Mark Twain. (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

Conclusion: Growth Mindset Quotes

Now that you have seen all 11 of our favorite inspirational growth mindset quotes, it should be clear that the art of learning from one’s mistakes, practicing persistence, and viewing personal growth as a lifelong journey is both a timeless and ageless pursuit. Each growth mindset quote serves as a strong reminder that your potential for growth has no limitations. As long as you are willing to give effort and not get discouraged by your mistakes, you will be able to learn and to grow.

In your everyday life, you can use these insights to supply you with inspiration and motivation as you take on new challenges and continue to develop your own growth mindset for learning. In doing so, you are making a commitment to becoming ever persistent, resilient, and a true lifelong learner.

If you would like to learn more about a growth mindset for learning and its incredible benefits, check out our in-depth article on Defining a Growth Mindset for Learning (and Why it Matters).

 
 

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11 Famous African American Mathematicians You Should Know About

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11 Famous African American Mathematicians You Should Know About

Image: Mashup Math MJ

Last Updated: October 8th, 2024

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and honor the generations of African American men and women and their struggle to achieve citizenship and equal rights in American society.

Black History Month provides a special opportunity for students to explore and learn more about famous African American mathematicians and their contributions to our culture and modern institutions.

When it comes to STEM classes, one of the best ways you can celebrate Black History Month in your classroom is by sharing the contributions of famous African American Mathematicians that you and your kids may not be familiar with (but definitely should!).

Why? Because most lists of famous mathematicians in history focus heavily on men like Isaac Newton, while the stories of so many other mathematicians from various walks of life go untold.

Some ideas for celebrating these famous African American Mathematicians include focusing on a different individual each day, assigning individuals for a famous African American Mathematician research assignment, or by sharing this article on your classroom’s bulletin board.

And while you can share this list with your students and admire the accomplishments of these incredible mathematicians any time of the year, the month of February provides a focused opportunity to provide your students with deeper historical context and make connections between the past, the present, and the future.

11 Famous African American Mathematicians

Benjamin Banneker is best known for building America’s first clock.

1.) Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)

Banneker, a mostly self-educated man in mathematics and astronomy, is best known for building America’s first clock—a wooden device that struck hourly. Using his rich understanding of trigonometry and astronomy, he accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1789.

Banneker was also a passionate civil rights advocate. In 1791, he famously penned a letter to then secretary of state Thomas Jefferson asking for his help in improving conditions for Africans living in the United States, which highly impressed Jefferson and convinced many that blacks were intellectually equal to whites.

He died at age 74 on October 9, 1806.

Fern Hunt is best known for her work in applied mathematics in the fields of biology and genetics.

2.) Fern Hunt (1948-Present)

Fern Hunt is best known for her work in applied mathematics and mathematical biology. Throughout her great career, she has been involved with biomathematics, patterns in genetic variation, and chaos theory.

She currently works as an educator and presenter with the aim of encouraging women and minority students to pursue graduate degrees in mathematics and other STEM fields.

Hunt is a strong support of student choice, following one’s passion, and surrounding yourself with a strong support system, which are all factors that she credits to her own personal success in mathematics.

 
 

Mark Dean invented the first gigahertz computer chip.

3.) Mark Dean (1957-Present)

Dean is a famous computer scientist and engineer, credited with assisting in the development of several breakthrough computer technologies for IBM.

He invented the first gigahertz computer chip and co-invented the Industry Standard Architecture System for computing, which allows for common plug-ins such as personal printers and modems.

Dean was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 1997

 
 

Elbert Frank Cox became the first black man in history to earn a Ph.D in mathematics in 1925.

4.) Elbert Frank Cox (1895-1969)

In 1925, Elbert Frank Cox was the first black man to earn a Ph.D in mathematics not only in the United States, but in the entire world.

After receiving this honor, Cox became a professor of mathematics at Howard University in Washington D.C. and eventually became chairman of the Mathematics Department in 1957. He would hold this role with great esteem until his retirement in 1965.

In 1975, the Howard University Mathematics Department established the Elbert F. Cox Scholarship Fund for undergraduate math majors to encourage young black students to pursue degrees in mathematics.

 

Image Source: Public Domain

 

Katherine Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.

5.) Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)

Katherine Johnson was the main character of the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures. Her contributions in the field of orbital mechanics, alongside fellow female African American mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, were critical to the United States’ success in putting astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962.

During her 35-year career at NASA, she held a reputation for being a master of complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computer programming for performing complex calculations.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015.

Video: Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count by NASA

 
 

Valerie Thomas is best known for her breakthroughs in the field of 3D-imagery, paving the way for modern spatial computing.

6.) Valerie Thomas (1943-Present)

Valerie Thomas is a scientist and inventor best known for inventing the Illusion Transmitter in 1980. This technology was the first of its kind in the field of 3D-imagery and is the basis for modern 3D-televisions, video games, and movies.

From 1964 -1995, Thomas worked for NASA, developing real-time computer data systems and managing the team that developed the Landsat technology that supported the first satellite to transmit images from outer space.

Today, she continues to serve as a mentor for youth through the Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology and National Technical Association.

 

Image: Public Domain

 

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Lonnie Johnson holds over 120 patents and is best known for inventing the Super Soaker water gun.

7.) Lonnie Johnson (1949-Present)

Lonnie Johnson is a famous inventor, mathematician, and engineer who holds over 120 patents. He served as an engineer for the U.S. Air Force, where he worked on developing the stealth bomber, and later for NASA’s Jet Propulsion program.

He is best known for inventing the Super Soaker water gun while working at the U.S. Air Force, a product which has grossed nearly $1 Billion since 1990. He also invented a “toy projectile gun,” which eventually became the Nerf Gun.

 

Image Source: Public Domain

 

John Urschel retired from the NFL at age 26 to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics from MIT.

8.) John Urschel (1991-Present)

John Urschel excelled in both mathematics and playing football at Penn State University and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. In 2014, Urschel was drafted from Penn State into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens, where he played his entire NFL career before retiring at age 26 to further pursue mathematics.

He is currently working towards his Ph.D. in mathematics from MIT where some of his mathematical fields of interest include graph theory, numerical linear algebra, and machine learning.

 

Image: CC BY 3.0 (License)

 

Euphemia Lofton Haynes became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1943.

9.) Euphemia Lofton Haynes (1890–1980)

Euphemia Lofton Haynes is famous for being the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, which she achieved from the Catholic University of America in 1943.

After earning her Ph.D., she embarked on a 47-year career of advocacy for students of color, improving schools, and overcoming the harmful effects of racial segregation. During this time, she was also a math professor at the District of Columbia Teachers College, where she managed the Division of Mathematics and Business Education department.

Haynes died at the age of 89 on July 25, 1980.

Annie Easley was a leading member of the team that developed the breakthrough Centaur rocket at NASA.

10.) Annie Easley (1933-2011)

Annie Easley is famous NASA computer and rocket scientist and mathematician who contributed to several space programs, inspired others through her participation in numerous outreach programs, and broke down barriers for both women and African Americans in STEM. Most notably, she was a leading member of the team that developed the breakthrough Centaur rocket, which opened the door for the launch of many of NASA’s most important missions.

Easley was known for being a “human computer” and always fought to do her best in the face of adversity. In a 2001 interview she shared that “I just have my own attitude. I’m out here to get the job done, and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that’s where my focus was.” 

 

Image: Public Domain

 

Mae Carol Jemison became the first African American woman to visit space when she went into orbit aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.

11.) Mae Carol Jemison (1956-Present)

Mae Carol Jemison is a mathematician, engineer, physician, and astronaut. In 1992, she became the first African American woman to visit space when she went into orbit aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour.

Jemison also spent time as a general practice physician and in the Peace Corps before joining NASA’s astronaut program.

She continues to be involved in several initiatives and recently served on the council for an initiative called "Science Matters" which aims to encourage young children to understand and pursue careers in STEM.

 

Image: United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Photo ID: S92-40463. (License)

 

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17 Famous Mathematicians in History (and Their Amazing Contributions)

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17 Famous Mathematicians in History (and Their Amazing Contributions)

17 Famous Mathematicians in History

From Ancient Greece to Modern Day, Who are the Top 17 Most Famous Mathematicians?

While the study of mathematics is typically focused on learning how to apply mathematical operations and formulas, it is important to also learn about the history of mathematics to truly appreciate the beauty of the subject.

As the famous Isaac Newton Quote goes:

If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

The giants he is referring to are all of the incredible mathematicians who came before him. Without their contributions to the field of mathematics, he would not have been able to make so many breakthroughs. The field of mathematics as we know it today would not be what it is without countless contributions from various talented mathematicians of various cultural and religious backgrounds, cultures, and genders, who existed during all periods of history.

The stories of famous mathematicians, their discoveries, innovations, and perseverance through adversity serves as an inspiration to math students and enthusiasts around the world, some of whom may seek to make significant contributions of their own.

In this post, we will take a look at the lives and accomplishments of 17 different famous mathematicians from around the world, including famous women mathematicians and famous black mathematicians.

17 Famous Mathematicians in History

Famous Mathematicians #1: Pythagoras

1.) Pythagoras (570 - 490 BC)

The ancient Greek, Pythagoras, is one of the most famous and well-known mathematicians in all of history. He is best known for the Pythagorean Theorem, which continues to serve as one of the cornerstones of the field of geometry. His contributions forever changed the way that mathematicians think about and understand triangular relationships.

Fun Fact: In addition to his works as a mathematicians, Pythagoras also founded a school in Croton (the modern day Crotone region of Southern Italy). The attendees of his school were followers of Pythagoras’ teachings and were known as Pythagoreans. They believed that numbers had mystical properties and that the Earth was actually a sphere that revolved around the sun, way before the heliocentric model was introduced.

Euclid

2.) Euclid (325 - 265 BC)

As a mathematician in ancient Alexandria, Euclid's foundational textbook, 'Elements', unified and expanded the theories and understandings of mathematics and geometry from his time. He is regarded as the Father of Geometry and many of his theorems are still used today.

Fun Fact: Since there is very little information known about Euclid’s personal life from writings or first-hand accounts, many modern scholars speculate that Euclid may not have been just one person, but rather a school or group of mathematicians publishing their work under one common name.

Hypatia of Alexandria

3.) Hypatia (355 - 415 AD)

As the first female mathematician whose life and workings are well-recorded, Hypatia is known for making significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. She lived in Alexandria, which was an epicenter of learning and knowledge during the 4th Century, but mathematics was still an incredible male-dominated field. However, despite this adversity, she is remembered for having remarkable perseverance, intellect and courage.

Interesting Fact: In addition to her accomplishments in the fields of math and astronomy, Hypatia is also known for having a tragic death (she was murdered in cold blood by a mob of Christian religious fanatics for being both a pagan and a female intellectual in 415 AD).

Famous Mathematicians #4: Al-Khwarizmi

4.) Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi (780 - 850 AD)

The famous Persian scholar, Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi, made countless profound and lasting contributions to mathematical thought, especially in the field of algebra. His work in the formation of algorithms forms the foundation of algebra as we know it today.

Fun Fact: The word algorithm is derived from Al-Khwarizmi’s name as he is credited with introducing algebraic concepts to the Western world. His name in Latin translated to Algorithmi, which became the title of the algebraic procedures featured in his writings.

Leonardo of Pisa (also known as Fibonacci)

5.) Fibonacci (1170 - 1240)

Also known as Leonardo of Pisa, little is known about the life of the great Italian mathematician known as Fibonacci. However, his mathematical contributions live on in a tremendous way as his famous Fibonacci sequence continues to illuminate the mathematical structures of nature and the natural world.

Fun Fact: Fibonacci is credited with introducing the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to Europe, which eventually led to its widespread acceptance, simplifying and unifying mathematical formulas, equations, and computations.

Famous Mathematicians in History #6: Sophie Germain

6.) Sophie Germain (1776-1831)

Despite facing incredible adversity as a female mathematician in Paris during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Germain persisted and became one of the most famous mathematicians of all time. Her greatest contributions came in the fields of number theory and elasticity theory.

Fun Fact: Despite living during an era when girls were never encouraged to pursue the field of mathematics, Germain taught herself using her father’s math textbooks. Using a fake male name, she wrote letters about mathematics to famous Germain mathematician (and #7 on our list) Carl Friedrich Gauss, who would not discover the true identity of his pen-pal colleague until years later.

Carl Friedrich Gauss

7.) Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777 - 1855)

Often referred to as the Prince of Mathematicians, Carl Friedrich Gauss is one of the most famous mathematicians in history as he made many significant contributions to the study of mathematics including the fields of statistics, differential equations, and number theory.

Fun Fact: Gauss was considered an incredibly talented mathematician from a very young age. When he was only 3 years old, he successfully spotted and corrected an error his father had made while calculating payrolls!

Famous Mathematicians #8: Srinivasa Ramanujan

8.) Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887 - 1920)

Despite having no formal math education or training, Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician, taught himself complex mathematics and became one of the most influential mathematicians who ever lived. Despite his short life, he is well known for his incredible contributions to the fields of number theory, analysis, and continued fractions.

Fun Fact: Ramanujan believed that his mathematical abilities were inspired by the divine and claimed the Hindu goddess Namagiri would share mathematical formulas and equations with him while he was dreaming.

Emmy Noether

9.) Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935)

Emmy Noether, a prominent 20th-century German mathematician, is famous for her revolutionary work in the fields of theoretical physics and abstract algebra.

Fun Fact: One of Noether’s greatest contributions to the field of mathematics was Noether’s Theorem, which links the properties of symmetry with the laws of conservation. Although she would face tremendous opposition to her pursuit of mathematics because of her gender, she is known today as a true trailblazer for women in STEM.

Famous Mathematicians in History #10: Albert Einstein

10.) Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

The famous genius, Albert Einstein, is best known for his contributions to the field of theoretical physics, but he made significant contributions to the field of mathematical physics as well, including his groundbreaking theory of relativity, which would forever change the way we think about reality.

Fun Fact: Einstein was a late bloomer in terms of his cognitive abilities. In fact, he did not learn how to properly speak until he was three years old, leading his teachers to believe that he was slow.

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Katherine Johnson

11.) Katherine Johnson (1918 - 2020)

Katherine Johnson was a true trailblazer for women and people of color in STEM. Her mathematical talents and calculations played a crucial role in NASA’s success for several decades, making her one of the most well known and famous mathematicians in history.

Fun Fact: Johnson’s work so well respected and trusted that famous astronaut John Glenn personally requested for her to double-check and verify all computer calculations related to his historic ride into orbit around Earth in 1962.

Alan Turing, despite facing rampant homophobia during his time, made foundational contributions to computer science and cryptography. His work on the Enigma machine during WWII played a crucial role in the Allied victory, making him a true war hero.

12.) Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)

Alan Turing is known as the Father of Modern Computing and his work blazed a trail for modern computers as we know them today. Turing introduced the concept of a universal machine, also known as a Turing machine, that could perform thousands of calculations based on predetermine rules/instructions. Also, Turing is credited with helping the Allies to defeat the Nazis in World Word II, when he helped to decode the German Enigma code.

Fun Fact: Turing developed a test for artificial intelligence, known as the Turing Test, which evaluates whether or not a machine can trick a human into thinking it is human as well.

Famous Mathematicians in History #13: Shakuntala Devi

13.) Shakuntala Devi (1929 - 2013 AD)

Devi, an Indian mathematician and mental calculator, is known as the Human Computer. She belongs on our list of famous mathematicians due to her incredible mental math abilities, which have earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records!

Fun Fact: Known for being able to perform incredibly complex mathematical calculations mentally in mere seconds, Devi famously multiplied two randomly chosen 13-digit numbers in her head in under 30 seconds, which was a world record in 1982.

Famous Mathematicians #14: Grigori Perelman

14.) Grigori Perelman (1966 - Present)

Perelman, an accomplished Russian mathematician, is famous for solving the Poincaré conjecture, which was one of the 7 Millennium Prize Problems in 2002. The conjecture essentially states that any finite 3D space that has no boundary is the topical equivalent of a 3D sphere.

Fun Fact: After Perelman’s solution to the Poincaré conjecture was confirmed in 2002, he was awarded a one million dollar prize in addition to the prestigious Fields Medal. However, he declined to accept either award stating that he did not care about money or fame.

Maryam Mirzakhani

15.) Maryam Mirzakhani (1977 - 2017 AD)

Mirzakhani, an decorated and celebrated Iranian mathematician, is the first and only woman to ever win the prestigious Fields Medal for her work in mathematics, namely in the fields of Riemann surfaces and hyperbolic geometry.

Fun Fact: Mirzakhani becoming the first female to win the Fields Medal in 2014 was no small feat, as the award is often considered the Nobel Prize of mathematics.

Terence Tao

16.) Terence Tao (1975 - Present)

Arguably the most famous modern famous mathematician on our list, Terence Tao is known for his substantial breakthroughs and research on the topics of representation theory, harmonic analysis, combinatorics, and partial differential equations.

Fun Fact: Tao, an Australian-American mathematician, won a gold medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad when he was just 13 years old. He would go on to be awarded the Fields Medal for his mathematical contributions in 2006.

17.) Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

Did you really think we weren’t going to include Sir Isaac Newton? Widely considered one of the most influential and famous mathematicians and scientists of all time for his revolutionary contributions to the fields of calculus and astronomy, Newton is most famous for developing the laws of gravity and motion. He is often credited with the development of calculus and is celebrated to this day for paving the way for modern mathematics and physics as we know it today, making him arguably the most famous mathematician in history!

Fun Fact: In addition to his studies in physics and math, Newton also devoted his time to studying alchemy—the ancient practice of trying to turn common medals into gold—and he wrote often on the subject. While the exact cause of his death remains unknown, many believe that it was due to mercury poisoning he incurred while working on an alchemy experiment.

Conclusion

These famous mathematicians and their inspirational stories remind us that mathematics is field of study that has been shaped by the brilliance and perseverance of a diverse and courageous group of thinkers from all walks of life. While this list only featured a small handful of history’s prominent mathematicians, the true history of math includes a rich and forever-growing collection of individuals who have made incredible and lasting contributions to the field of mathematics and STEM as a whole.

 
 

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11 Famous Women Mathematicians and Their Incredible Contributions!

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11 Famous Women Mathematicians and Their Incredible Contributions!

Image: Mashup Math

Last Updated: October 10, 2024

March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor, celebrate, and acknowledge generations of women of all backgrounds, their struggle to achieve equality in society, and their incredible contributions in fields including civil rights, athletics, art, politics, mathematics, and every other facet of life imaginable.

Women’s History Month is a special opportunity for students to learn about famous women mathematicians throughout history and their contributions to the field of study—ranging from discovering fundamental theorems to rocket science and putting astronauts into orbit.

Why is it important for students to learn about female mathematicians? Because the History of Mathematics is overly focused on the contributions of a small group of male mathematicians like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Euclid, while often ignoring the diverse contributions of women and minorities

If you are looking to promote gender equality and celebrate Women’s History Month with your kids this month and beyond, sharing the contributions of famous female mathematicians is a great way to inspire students, teach them about the history of mathematics, and remind them that math is accessible to everyone.

In February, we celebrated Black History Month by sharing 11 Famous African American Mathematicians You Should Know About. And now that the calendar has turned to March, we are sharing 11 Famous Women Mathematicians and Their Amazing Contributions in honor of Women’s History Month.

One idea for celebrating these famous women is to focus on a different individual each day, assigning individuals for a famous woman mathematician research assignment, or by sharing this article on your classroom’s bulletin board.

Note that you can certainly share this list of famous female mathematicians with your kids during any time of the school year. However, March, being Women’s History Month, is an extra special opportunity to provide your students with a deeper understanding of these women and their contributions within the context of history and the fight for gender equality.

11 Famous Female Mathematicians and Their Incredible Contributions

Famous Female Mathematicians: Hypatia (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

1.) Hypatia (370-415 AD)

There was a woman in Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the Philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophies of her own time.

-Socrates Scholasticus

Our list starts off with Hypatia, the daughter of prominent Egyptian Mathematician Theon with whom she collaborated on several famous mathematical works. Since Hypatia was the daughter of an upper-class mathematician and philosopher, she received the same education as her male peers and it wasn’t long before she proved that she was a more accomplished mathematician than many, including even her father.

Conic Sections

Conic Sections (Image: Wikipedia Commons)

She is considered the first known female math teacher in history and was also known for teaching astronomy and how to use an astrolabe device to model astronomical events.

In addition to becoming a respected teacher of mathematics (which was unheard of for a woman in Egypt at the time), she also made several advancements to the field of mathematics, namely her work on conic sections and developing the concepts of ellipses, parabolas, and ellipses by dividing cones into planes.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Sophie Germain (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

2.) Sophie Germain (1776-1831)

Algebra is but written geometry, and geometry is but figured algebra.

-Sophia Germain

Sophie Germain was born in Paris, France in 1776 and become infatuated with mathematics at a young age. As a teenager, she spent her time reading every mathematics book available in her library and taught herself Latin so she could study the works of Isaac Newton and Euler.

At the age of 18, she enrolled in the famous math academy École Polytechnique, which was no easy feat for a woman at that time. To get her professor’s attention, she submitted letters sharing her mathematical work using a fake male student’s name. After discovering that the work was actually done by Sophie, her professor was extremely impressed and became her mentor, helping her to establish herself and become respected in a male-dominated field of mathematics.

Her two greatest mathematical accomplishments include contributing to Fermat’s Last Theorem, paving the way for the problem to be solved several centuries later and pioneering what is known as elastic theory, which led her to becoming the first female to be honored by the Paris Academy of Sciences

Famous Female Mathematicians: Ada Lovelace (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

3.) Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)

The more I study, the more insatiable do I feel my genius for it to be.

-Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace was an English Mathematician who is regarded as the world’s first computer programmer!

In 1836, she wrote the world’s first computer program known as an algorithm for an Analytical Engine to compute Bernoulli numbers.

In 1852, Lovelace died due to an illness at only 37 years old. However, despite her short life, she made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and computer science that can still be seen to this day. She is still regarded as the first person to understand the potential of a computing machine.

Without the contributions of Ada Lovelace, the modern computer and associated algorithms that we take for granted may not exist.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Sofia Kovalevskaya (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

4.) Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891)

It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul.

-Sofia Kovalevskaya

Sofia Kovalevskaya is yet another incredible and inspiring female mathematician who overcame the gender biases of her time to make significant contributions to the field of mathematics.

After demonstrating her ability to perform advanced mathematics at a young age, Sofia began attending classes at the University of Heidelberg only after receiving special permission since she was not a boy.

Sofía-Kovalevskaya-smithsonianmag.jpg

Image: Public Domain

1378.jpg

Image: Mashup Math FP

Sofia would struggle for most of her adult life to gain the same privileges to study and teach mathematics as her male counterparts did. Despite this struggle, she would become a highly regarded math professor and was the first woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics and the first woman in Europe to become a full-time professor.

Her greatest contribution to the field of mathematics was in her studies of differential equations and elliptic integrals, namely in relation to understanding the workings of Saturn and its rings.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Emmy Noether (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

5.) Emmy Noether (1882-1935)

My methods are really methods of working and thinking, this is why they have crept in everywhere anonymously.

-Emmy Noether

Emmy Noether was born in Germany and is arguably the most influential women mathematician in history.

After initially being reluctant to study mathematics at a young age, she eventually joined her father and brother, who were both mathematicians as well, and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Erlangen in Germany.

Noether is best known for discovering Noether’s Theorem, which links mathematics and physics in an extremely important way. The theorem, which is named after her, relates the laws of nature and conservation to mathematical symmetry and how we understand the universe.

Noether’s Theorem: States that every differentiable symmetry of the action of a physical system has a corresponding conservation law. (via wikipedia.org)

At the time, her theory was truly groundbreaking and influenced in how mathematicians and scientists thought about and understood the workings of our universe.

In addition to Noether’s Theorem, she made major contributions to the fields of theoretical physics and abstract algebra.

In fact, Albert Einstein dubbed her as “the most significant mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women began.”

Famous Female Mathematicians: Dorothy Vaughn (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

6.) Dorothy Vaughn (1910-2008)

I changed what I could, and what I couldn’t, I endured.

-Dorothy Vaughn

Dorothy Vaughn is known for being a respected high school math teacher turned “human supercomputer” for NASA.

Vaughn worked on a racially segregated team of computer programmers assigned with using supercomputers to perform computations associated with NASA space launches, including sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit in 1962.

Image: Public Domain

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Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

She is a main character in the hit film Hidden Figures and was the first African American female supervisor at NASA. She went on to play a key role in NASA’s use of supercomputers to assist in aeronautical projects and space launches.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Katherine Johnson (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

7.) Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)

Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.

-Katherine Johnson

Johnson was another main character in the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures. She made major contributions in the fields of orbital and aeronautics mechanics, which were critical to the successful launch of Astronaut John Glenn into orbit by the United States in 1962.

 

Katherine Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. (Image: Public Domain)

 

Katherine Johnson spent 35 years working for NASA and developed a reputation for being a master at performing difficult and complex calculations. She went on to help pioneer the use of computer science and programming to do complex math calculations for NASA.

In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 
 

Famous Female Mathematicians: Julia Robinson (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

8.) Julia Robinson (1919-1985)

I like to think of mathematicians as forming a nation or our own without distinctions of geographical origin, race, creed, sex, age, or even time…all dedicated to the most beautiful of the arts and sciences.

-Julia Robinson

Robinson, an American mathematician, started off as a young math prodigy by completing grades 5 through 8 in one single year after missing two full years of school due to a serious illness.

After spending decades working on Hilbert’s tenth problem, which was widely considered unsolvable by the mathematics community, she and a small team found a solution in 1980—a groundbreaking achievement!

She also made significant contributions to the fields of game theory and computability theory.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Valerie Thomas (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

9.) Valerie Thomas (1943-Present)

Figuring out what you want comes from failing, and then trying again. It comes from questioning everything, falling in love, fighting the power, living without limits. It doesn't come from getting straight A’s, playing by the rules, and listening obediently.

-Valerie Thomas

Valerie Thomas is a distinguished scientist and is best known for inventing the Illusion Transmitter—a 3-Dimensional Imaging Technology that was the first of its kind when it debuted in 1980. In fact, this technology is the basis for modern 3D imaging tech that we see in modern televisions, video games, and movies!

Additionally, Valerie Thomas works as a developer and engineer for NASA from 1964 to 1995. During her career at NASA, she managed a team that facilitated the reception of the first satellite images to be received from outer space.

 

Image: Public Domain

 

At the time of this writing, Thomas holds a role at the Science and Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology and National Technical Association as a youth mentor and encourages young people of all genders and backgrounds to pursue science and mathematics.

Famous Female Mathematicians: Maryam Mirzakhani (Image: Mashup Math MJ)

10.) Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017)

The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers.

-Maryam Mirzakhani

Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and math professor at Stanford University. In high school, Mirzakhani and her best friend became the first Iranian women to qualify for the Mathematical Olympiad.

She made significant contributions to researching math topics including theoretical mathematics, hyperbolic geometry, and ergodic theory.

Her work eventually led her to become the first Iranian woman to win the Fields Medal in 2014, which is the most prestigious mathematics award one can receive.

Sadly, Mirzakhani died of cancer complications in 2017 at the age of 40.

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Famous Female Mathematicians: Mae Carol Jemison

11.) Mae Carol Jemison (1956-Present)

Never limit yourself because of others' limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.

-Mae Carol Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison is an incredibly talented and inspirational figure. As a decorated engineer, physician, mathematician, and NASA astronaut, she is best known for becoming the first African American woman to go to outer space, which happened when she was a member of the Endeavour Space Shuttle that launched into orbit in 1992.

Before becoming an astronaut, Jemison served in the Peace Corps as a general practice physician.

Today, she serves on the council for the Science Matters initiative, with the goal of encouraging children to pursue STEM careers at a young age.

 
 
 
 

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By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

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