Good points Roger. There's no decision procedure here. I was basing my choice on how long The Elements has been in use and how many people it has influenced and still does. Gauss, Newton and Einstein were all influenced by the Elements. One of the prize objects in a Cambridge library is Newton's heavily margin noted version of the Elements. Apparently he converted the entire treatise into algebra as he read it.
As for who invented the integers (the positive counting ones anyone). That happened so long ago that the creators may not have been "technically" homo sapiens. Cheers On Mon, Aug 16, 2021 at 12:56 AM Roger Hui <[email protected]> wrote: > > 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 > > >> . > > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> For information about J forums see > http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > >> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > -- John D. Baker [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
