MATHEMATICS IN

20 CENTURY
TH
J O V E LY N M A R T I L L A N A
AIDEL ROSAL
JOMARIE ORIOLA
Pure mathematician became a
recognized vocation, to be achieved
through training.
Axiomatic method, strongly influenced by David


Hilbert’s example
The logical formulation of pure mathematics


suggested by Bertrand Russell

IDEA OF GENERALITY
Pure mathematics often exhibits a trend towards increased generality.

Certain benefits of generality

1. Generalizing theorems or mathematical structures can lead to deeper understanding of the
original theorems or structures: by exploring the implications of weakening the assumptions, one
gains a better understanding of the role those assumptions play in the original theorems or
structures.
2. Generality can simplify the presentation of material, resulting in shorter proofs or arguments that
are easier to follow.
3. One can use generality to avoid duplication of effort, proving a general results from other areas
of mathematics.
4. Generality can facilitate connections between different branches of mathematics, by
emphasizing commonality of structure that may not be apparent at less general levels. Category
theory is one area of mathematics dedicated to exploring this commonality of structure as it
plays out in some areas of math.
MATHEMATICIANS IN 20 TH

CENTURY
DAVID HILBERT
(JA NU A RY 23, 1862 – FEB R U ARY 14, 1943)

 German mathematician
 One of the most influential and universal mathematicians
 He invented or developed a broad range of fundamental ideas, in
invariant theory, the axiomatization of geometry, and with the
notion of Hilbert space, one of the foundations of functional
analysis
 He defended Georg cantor’s set theory and transfinite numbers

 One of the founders of proof theory, mathematical logic and

the distinction between mathematics and metamathematics
SRINIVASA RAMANUJAN IYENGAR
(22 DECEMBER, 1887 – 26 APRIL, 1920)

 Indian mathematician
 One of the greatest mathematical genius
 He made substantial contributions in the areas of
mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series and
continued fractions
 Independently compiled nearly 3900 results during his
short lifetime
KURT GOEDEL
(APRIL 28, 1906 – JANUARY 14, 1978)

 Austrian – American mathematician and

philosopher
 His work has had immense impact upon scientific
and philosophical thinking
 Two incompleteness theorems by the age of 25

- for any self-consistent recursive axiomatic system

powerful enough to describe the aritmetic of the
natural numbers, there are true propositions
about the naturals that cannot be proved from
the axioms.

 He showed that the continuum hypothesis cannot

be disproved from the accepted axioms of set
theory, if those axioms are consistent
WOLFGANG HAKEN
(BORN JUNE 21, 1928)

 Mathematician who specializes in topology

 In 1976 with Kenneth Appel, solved one of the

most famous problem in mathematics, the four-
color theorem.

 One of his key contributions to algorithmic

topology is an algorithm to detect if a knot is
unknotted
KENNETH APPEL
(BORN 1932)

In 1976 with Wolfgang Haken, solved one of

the most famous problem in mathematics, the
four-color theorem.
THE FOUR-COLOR THEOREM
Haken and Appel proved that any two-dimensional map, with
certain limitations, can be filled in with four colors without any
adjacent “countries” sharing the same coulor.
SIR ANDREW JOHN WILES
(BORN APRIL 11, 1953)

 British research mathematician at Princeton

University
 Specialised for number theory
 Most famous for proving Fermat’s Last
Theorem
20TH CENTURY: SUMMARY
 The profession of mathematician became much more important.
 Jobs are available both in teaching and industry.

 In 1900 David Hilbert presented a list of 23 unsolved problems

 In the 1910s, Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan developed over 3000 theorems.

 In 1931, Kurt Goedel published his two incompleteness theorems

 Wolfganag Haken and Kenneth Appel used a computer to prove the four color
theorem in 1976.
 Andrew Wiles proved Fermat’s last theorem in 1995

 New areas of mathematics: mathematical logic, topology, complexity theory,

and game theory.
 Mathematics was even findin its way into art, as fractal geometry produced
beautiful shapes never before seen.