> By that standard Euclid would be a clear winner ...

Not without a debate.  In this context, Gauss and Riemann, the final
inventors of non-Euclidean geometry, represent good candidates.  It is not
that they "overthrew" Euclid but that after 2000+ years they extended
understanding of Euclidean geometry.

If earliest is greatest, we can try to find whoever invented the integers
and say that his/her/their legacy was the greatest.

An analogy in physics is Newton and Einstein.  Newton was great, of course,
but Einstein extended understanding of Newtonian physics and placed it in a
larger, richer context.



On Sun, Aug 15, 2021 at 5:16 PM John Baker <[email protected]> wrote:

> Brian thanks for the Ellenberg link. Roger’s point about the legacy of
> ideas is good too. By that standard Euclid would be a clear winner it’s
> hard to think of any other work, mathematical or otherwise that has
> exercised such a huge influence over more than two thousand years.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Aug 15, 2021, at 17:48, Jose Mario Quintana <
> [email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > Ibn Sina (Avicenna) has an entry at,
> >
> > Avicenna (980 - 1037) - Biography - MacTutor History of Mathematics
> > (st-andrews.ac.uk)
> > <https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Avicenna/>
> >
> > and his mausoleum is not unimpressive (take your time),
> >
> > Avicenna Mausoleum - موزه ابوعلی سینا *NO ANY REUSED NOR THIRD-PARTY
> > CONTENT INCLUDED* - YouTube
> > <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPMcGtLtTdk&t=233s>
> >
> > Incidentally, he provided a forceful and persuasive argument supporting
> the
> > law of noncontradiction,
> >
> > Quote by Avicenna: “Anyone who denies the law of non-contradiction ...”
> > (goodreads.com)
> > <
> https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/706107-anyone-who-denies-the-law-of-non-contradiction-should-be-beaten
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> On Sat, Aug 14, 2021 at 11:08 PM greg heil <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> i suppose this is a bit political;-)
> >> my nomination would be
> >>
> >>
> https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/commemorations/paul-dirac
> >>
> >> ~greg heil
> >> https//picsrp.github.io
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> from: Donna Ydreos <[email protected]>
> >> date: Aug 14, 2021, 8:03 PM
> >> subject: Re: [Jchat] Most Impressive Mathematician Gravesite.
> >>
> >>> When Cicero found Archimedes’ tomb in Syracuse:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2019/03/when-cicero-found-archimedes-tomb-in-syracuse
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> from: Joey K Tuttle <[email protected]>
> >> date: Aug 14, 2021, 7:43 PM
> >> subject: Re: [Jchat] Most Impressive Mathematician Gravesite.
> >>
> >> The most impressive one I’ve seen is Issac Newton in Westminster Abby.
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> from: John Baker <[email protected]>
> >> to: Chat forum <[email protected]>
> >> date: Aug 14, 2021, 5:52 PM
> >> subject: [Jchat] Most Impressive Mathematician Gravesite.
> >>
> >>> Here’s a little question that draws a blank on Google. What famous
> >> mathematician has the most impressive gravesite? Any figure from any
> era of
> >> world history is allowed
> >> .
> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >>
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