Waclaw Sierpinski was born in March 14 1882 in Poland. He is a mathematician and he has worked on set theory, number theory, and the theory of functions. He has three fractals named after him-the Sierpinski triangle, the Sierpinski carpet, and the Sierpinski curve. While studying in the University of Warsaw, he got a golden medal for an essay he wrote about the number theory. He received a doctorate and started working in the University of Lwow in 1908.
Sierpinski was arguably the most important and influential Polish mathematician because of his contributions to Poland and math itself. He is known as the father of Polish math because he planned to create a Polish mathematician community, which he did but unfortunately was destroyed by Nazis and Soviets with other parts of the Polish intellectual life. He also a notable person because he is the first person to give a lecture about the on set theory. He also contributed to math by adding 100 more pages to the set theory.
He first presented his triangle in 1915 , which he discovered while working on a topology. Which is described like this: Take a solid equilateral triangle, divide it into four congruent equilateral triangles, and remove the middle triangle; then do the same with each of the three remaining triangles; and so on. The resulting fractal is self-similar (small parts of it are scale copies of the whole thing).This fractal is important because how many different ways you can make it and also it has an area of 0 and infinite number of triangles inside it. The triangle was used by Benoit Mandelbrot in real life to ask a tricky question and show that the Britain has an infinite coast, which is not true. Also this fractal is being used to produce multiband radio antennas.
But this wasn’t the first time we saw this pattern.The patterns in the Santa Marina cathedral are same.The cathedral of Santa Marina is in Anagni Italy. It was built in the 11th century and it has the famous Cosmati mosaics on its floor. The construction lasted 34 years. And it has both Romanesque and Gothic art styles. The patterns on the carpets in some basilicas are the same. And these patterns in the cathedral could be the oldest known manmade fractals.
All in all, Waclaw Sierpinski was probably the most important Polish mathematician, because of his contributions to his country and math. The fractals he presented are important and they are being used in real life. Also they have historical connections to one of the world’s oldest and most spectacular patterns.