#e <t>use<t>math<d>250(50)<n>zero<c>India<info>A treatise on mathematics known as the Bakhshali manuscript, which uses numbers with zeros and a fully developed decimal place-value system, is believed by some to have been written in the third century.
// 4th century
#p <nat>Greek<o>math<n>Hypatia<c>Alexandria<b>370<d>415<info>Hypatia was the daughter of Theon, a famous mathematician of the time.
// 5th century
#e <t>use<t>math<n>mathematical roots and powers<c>India<d>500
// 6th century
#e <t>use<t>math<n>decimal numbers in commerce<c>India<d>600
// 8th century
#p <nat>Persian<o>math<o>astronomer<n>Mohammad Ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi<aka>Abu Ja'far al-Khwarizmi<b>780<d>850<info>Al-Khawarizmi was the founder of algebra, and the word "algorithm" is the Latin translation of his name.
#e <t>pub<t>math<n>Al-jabr wa'l muqabalah<d>815(5)<p>al-Khawarizmi<info>@Al-Khawarizmi@al-Khawarizmi@ introduces Hindi numbers, now known as Arabic.
#e <t>coin<t>math<n>"algebra"<p>al-Khawarizmi<d>815(5)<c>Persia<info>The word "algebra" comes from the title of @al-Khawarizmi@@'s book "Al-Jabr wa-al-Mfuqabilah."
// 10th century
#e <t>use<d>953(1)<n>decimal fractions<c>Syria<info>A Syrian mathematician named Abul Hassan al-Uqlidisi wrote a book in 952 or 953 which used positional notation to make decimal fractions.
#p <nat>Persian<o>math<o>astronomer<n>Abul Wafa al-Buzjani<b>940<c>Baghdad<d>998 Jan(12)<info>migrated to Iraq in 959
#e <t>use<t>math<n>Arabic numerals<c>Europe<d>975
// 11th century
// 12th century
#p <nat>Italian<o>math<n>Leonardo Fibonacci<b>1170<d>1240<info>His writings introduced Arabic numerals into European mathematics.
// 13th century
#e <t>use<d>1202<n>Arabic numbers<c>Europe<info>@Fibonacci@@ introduced Arabic numbers to Europe.
// 14th century
// 15th century
#p <nat>Italian<o>mathematician<n>Niccolo Tartaglia<b>1500(5)<d>1557 Dec 13<c><info>
The Niccolo Tartaglia developed a solution to cubic equations in 1535. He confided this solution to @Gerolamo Cardano@@ on condition that it not be published. Tartaglia was also the first to apply mathematics to gunnery. In his book "Nova Scientia" in 1537 he described new ballistic methods and instruments, including the first firing tables.
// 16th century
#p <nat>Italian<o>mathematician<o>physician<o>inventor<n>Gerolamo Cardano<c>Italy<b>1501 Sep 24<d>1576 Sep 20<info>Cardano invented the @universal joint@@ and combination locks similar to ones used in modern safes. He was the first to distinguish between the diseases gonorrhoea and syphilis. He proposed a sanitorium type of treatment for tuberculosis 300 years before it was rediscovered. In 1522 he cured John Hamilton, the archbishop of Scotland, of severe asthma.¶Cardano developed the fundamentals of probability theory and imaginary numbers. His mathematical works include "@Liber de Ludo Aleae@@", "@The Practice of Arithmetic and Simple Mensuration@@" and "@Ars Magna@@."¶Cardano's father Fazio was a close friend of @Leonardo da Vinci@@.<ref>R. Penrose, "Shadows of the Mind," 1994
#e <t>writing<d>1524<n>Liber de Ludo Aleae<p>Cardano<info>This book, whose name means, "The Book of Games of Chance," was written by @Gerolamo Cardano@@. It establishes the fundamentals of the theory of probability.
#e <t>writing<d>1540<n>The Practice of Arithmetic and Simple Mensuration<p>Cardano<info>This book by @Gerolamo Cardano@@ gave the solution for a certain broad class of cubic equations. @Tartaglia@@ had previously discovered this solution but had kept it secret.
#e <t>writing<d>1545<n>Ars Magna<p>Cardano<info>This book, whose name means "The Great Art," was written by @Gerolamo Cardano@@. It gave the analysis of the general solution of the cubic equation. He had previously published a limited solution under the title, "@The Practice of Arithmetic and Simple Mensuration@@."
#p <nat>Dutch<o>math<o>engineer<n>Simon Stevin<aka>Simon Stevinus<b>1548<d>1620<info>Simon Stevin initiated the science of hydrostatics by demonstrating that the pressure exerted by a liquid upon a given surface depends on the height of the liquid and the area of the surface. While quartermaster of the Dutch army, Stevin invented a way of flooding the lowlands in the path of invading forces by opening selected sluices in dikes. The author of 11 books, he contributed significantly to the sciences of trigonometry, geography, fortification, and navigation and devised and urged the universal use of decimal fractions and decimal systems of coins, weights, and measures. In 1582 Stevin wrote "La Thiende" (the tenth) explaining the system of decimal fractions. The decimal point was not yet in use.<ref>Grolier; Calendar
#p <nat>French<o>mathematician<o>theologian<n>Marin Mersenne<b>1588 Sep 8<d>1648 Sep 1<c>Paris<info>Marin Mersenne is best known for his role as a clearinghouse for correspondence between eminent philosophers and scientists. He belonged to the religious order of the Minims, and his cell in Paris furnished a meeting place for @Fermat@@, @Pascal@@, Gassendi, and others who later became the core of the French Academy. Mersenne defended @Descartes@@ and @Galileo@@ against theological criticism and struggled to expose the pseudosciences of alchemy and astrology. He continued some of Galileo's work in acoustics and stimulated some of Galileo's own later discoveries.<ref>Grolier
#p <nat>French<o>math<n>Pierre de Fermat<sur>Fermat<b>1601 Aug 17<d>1665
#e <t>math theory<p>Pierre de Fermat<n>Principle of Least Time<d>1657<info>by @Pierre de Fermat@@
#p <nat>French<o>math<n>Blaise Pascal<b>1623 Jun 19<d>1662 Aug 19<info>Blaise Pascal made discoveries in calculus, fluid dynamics, combinatorics, and probability. He is also is known for his religous writings.
#e <t>Christianity<d>1654 Nov 23<n>Pascal's conversion<p>Blaise Pascal<info>On this night, @Blaise Pascal@@ underwent a two-hour-long mystical experience, which he recorded on parchment. (Until his death eight years later, he kept the parchment sewn into the lining of his tunic.) His Christian faith became a conviction which had the greatest influence on him thereafter. Nevertheless, he was able to reconcile his faith with reason and science.
#e <t>writing<t>Christianity<n>Les Pensées<p>Blaise Pascal<d>1652 Jan<e>1657 Mar<c>France<info>Les Pensées is an apology of the Christian faith by @Blaise Pascal@@.
#p <nat>German<o>math<n>Gottfried von Leibniz<b>1646 Jul 1<d>1716
#e <t>math theory<p>Gottfried von Leibniz<n>independent discovery of calculus<d>1673<e>1676<info>by @Gottfried von Leibniz@@
#p <nat>French<o>math<n>Guillaume de l'Hôpital<sur>l'Hôpital<b>1661<d>1704
#p <nat>English<o>math<o>philosopher<n>Bertrand Russel<b>1872 May 18<d>1970
#p <nat>Indian<o>math<n>Srinivasa Ramanujan<b>1888(1)<c>Madras<mov>1914<c>Cambridge<d>1920<info>Ramanujan was brought to England in 1914 by Cambridge mathematician G. H. Hardy. He died of tuberculosis in 1920.
#p <nat>Hungarian<o>math<n>John von Neumann<b>1903 Dec 28<d>1957 Feb 8<c>Budapest<mov>1930<c>Princeton
#p <nat>Danish<o>poet<o>math<n>Piet Hein<b>1905 Dec 16<d>1996 Apr 18
#e <t>math<d>1936<n>soma cubes<p>Piet Hein<info>@Piet Hein@@ conceived of the soma puzzle while day dreaming at a mathematics seminar in 1936. The game was marketed by Parker Brothers around 1970.
#p <nat>German<o>math<n>Kurt Gödel<b>1906 Apr 28<d>1978<c>Vienna<mov>1939<c>New Jersey
#e <t>math theory<d>1950<n>Turing test<p>Alan Turing<info>This test, proposed by @Alan Turing@@, would determine whether a computer is "intelligent." In the test, an interrogator would communicate with both a human and a computer by some means. If it cannot be determined which is which by the answers to questions posed to them, then the computer would be deemed to be "thinking" like a human.
#e <t>hard<t>inv<d>1943<n>Colossus<p>Alan Turing<info>@Alan Turing@@ helps to build an electronic computer that will be used by the Allies to crack German @Enigma@Enigma machine@ codes.
#e <t>math<d>1993<n>Proof of Fermat's Last Theorem<c>Princeton<info>Mathematician Andrew Wiles reveals his proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, which was proposed in the 17th century.
